Google Apps for Education, a version of Google’s web-based application and productivity suite tailored for educational institutions, has won the endorsement of the states of Iowa and Colorado, Geek.com reports. The states will offer Google Apps (Gmail, Google Sites, Calendar, Groups, Video, and Docs), as well as associated training and support, to schools and other public educational institutions. In total, around 3,000 schools will have the opportunity to use the application suite. This latest announcement comes just two months after Oregon became the first state to ink a deal with Google for Apps. Google Apps represents a significant cost saving for schools over traditional desktop-based productivity suites, both in terms of software licensing fees and also reduced deployment and maintenance overheads, advocates say. According to Google, the Oregon deal alone will save the state education department $1.5 million per year…

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