Apache Open Office, popularly known as Open Office is an Open Source alternative for MS Office. You can download Open Office at https://www.openoffice.org/. There is also another Open Office called the LibreOffice that runs in the same code scheme of openoffice.org. Both Apache Open Office and LibreOffice run in the same code but LibreOffice has more updates and releases. Here I will elaborate about LibreOffice.

LibreOffice is available for both Windows, Mac, and Linux computers. LibreOffice holds functionalities similar to MS Office and hence, if you are unable to pay and download MS Office, LibreOffice is your best alternative. Many companies trust and use LibreOffice since it avoids them the hassle of licensing process and saves them the cost of paying for these licenses.  

What you need to know about LibreOffice:

If you are a user comfortable using MS Office, you will find no or less difference in using LibreOffice. The functionalities of MS Word, MS PowerPoint, and MS Excel are similar in LibreOffice also.  The LibreOffice Word alternative is called Writer, PowerPoint is called Impress, and Excel is called Calc.

How it is used in the industry:

Many technology companies that are advocates of license free open-source software often use LibreOffice in place of the traditional MS Office bundle. Some technical writers suggest that if students know how to use MS Office, they will be able to pick up LibreOffice easily.

How it is used in the MSTC Program:

The MSTC Program does not extensively use LibreOffice but some instructors prescribe this to students to get an idea of how the program looks and to get them used to a similar platform like Office. There are no specific courses in the MSTC Program where LibreOffice is taught. But, students are encouraged to try it to get to know the experience of using LibreOffice.

Where can you get more information about Open Source software at NC State:

NC State’s Office of Information technology has a separate forum for information on Open Source Software.

You can get access to this forum at http://www.ncsu.edu/it/open_source/. If you need more information regarding Software that is not mentioned in this forum, you can write to the NC State Office of Information Technology or you can get in touch with the support staff at CHASS Lab.