With the purchase of almost 60,000 square feet of space in Carpinteria, Lynda.com has become one of the biggest technology firms headquartered on the South Coast.

The Internet-based firm calls itself “education as a service.” Users pay about $25 a month to access an online library of almost 900 software courses. Originally oriented toward creative professionals looking to pick up extra skills, the courses have become a hit with businesses, governments and schools.

The company ranked as the fifth fastest-growing firm in the region in a recent Business Times survey. Between 2007 and 2009, its revenue grew 143 percent, to $34.7 million.

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