Bitten by online-CAT debacle, IIMs eye Foss

Seeing mass-scale technical glitches and several other problems in online CAT debut this year, IIM officials are heading with the idea of using free and open source software (Foss) to avert online common admission test debacle in future. The IIMs are yet to get to terms with the recent disaster over the online CAT debut, and not in a mood to repeat the mistakes again. 

After a detailed study of the recent disaster, the IIMs are set to create their own firewall to effectively handle similar disasters in future. And employing Foss is a step in the right direction with right earnest.

One of the IIM officials informed that the use of Foss will cut the operation cost   
by over 50 percent and will also save online exams from virus and malware attacks.

US-based Prometric — the company responsible to organise the online CAT this year, has squarely blamed virus attacks for the failure.

During the exams, there were tight security measures in place which even could not avoid the virus attacks, thus leaving over 20,000 candidates in distress. 

Virus attacks are the major concern of IIMs, and the only solution is to install Foss after abandoning the existing virus-prone operating system, feels the experts. Foss software would be the most preferred option as it allows users to study, change, and improve its design through its source code.

Officials at Prometric blamed two viruses, Conflicker and W32.NIMDA, to have drastically hampered the systems and exams at the same time. IIM officials blamed the servers and other computers in various colleges for this debacle.

As per the IIM officials, not having used the genuine proprietary software might have led to virus infection in all those 17,000-20,000 computers.

Some IIM officials are not quite upbeat about the idea of carrying out exams like CAT on Foss as it is not user-friendly. However, top IIM officials are firm in their approach to continue to stick to the online format, and not go back to conventional paper-pencil one.