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Open Source Software

What is Open Source

The basic idea behind Open Source Software is very simple: Users can run, copy, distribute, study, change, and improve the software FOR FREE!

The Free Software Foundation (FSF) defined four kinds of freedom for software users:

The freedom to run the program for any purpose.
The freedom to study how the program works, and adapt it; access to the source code is a precondition for this.
The freedom to redistribute copies so one can help a neighbour.
The freedom to improve the program and release improvements to the public so that the whole community benefits; access to the source code is a precondition for this.

See how Open Source varies from "traditional IT"

Common Benefits

Freely Available - Many software applications are free and can be download them from the Internet.
Zero Licence Costs - No need to pay every time the software is installed on a new computer.
Free Upgrades - New versions of the software are usually available free of charge.
Enterprise software - A pool of high-quality enterprise software is available to you, such as ERP, CMS, CRM...
High Quality - Global communities of users make improvements, often faster than a commercial vendor would.
Source Code Included - Useful if you want to enhance the software according to your own needs/processes.
High Security - Highly effective for mission-critical functions, precisely because its source code can scrutinised.
Greater Flexibility - Ability to change between software, platforms, and suppliers - avoiding vendor lock-in.

Varieties of Business Software Available

Lots... To give you a flavour, these are some of the categories of Open Source Software that are available:

Operating systems - Many look/feel much like Windows, but have the advantages high reliability and being free.
Email and web browser software - Excellent alternative to products such as Microsoft Outlook or Lotus Notes.
Enterprise applications - Software such as ERP for Finance and HR related functions.
Web and content management systems - Document management, collaboration, wiki, Intranet and Portal...
Office productivity software - Word, spreadsheet, graphics, presentation and project management...
Serverware - Web application servers, mail/file servers, database management systems...
Software development - Programming tools, development environments/applications and version control...

Who's using it?

Nearly all of us and we don't even realise it!
Nearly 70% of web traffic is made possible by the web server, Apache.
In the majority of cases, every time we use the web, we use Open Source!
According to w3schools Firefox, as of December 2008, had 44% of the recorded usage share of web browsers.
The MySQL database is now the worlds most commonly used database on the web.
The list of businesses & organisations using Open Source is endless. Here's a few:
- NASA
- Google
- Amazon
- PayPal
- Thawte
- Yahoo!
- Morgan Stanley
- Birmingham City Council
- NHS

Useful Links

What the Research Shows

According to CIO.com, on average:

Over 50% of businesses were using Open Source in one form or another during 2008.
An additional 10% of businesses plan to use Open Source in 2009.
In many cases Open Source applications are being considered equally with commercial solutions during procurement processes.
A large majority of the businesses are using Open Source enterprise applications - The most popular being collaboration, customer relationship (CRM) and enterprise resource planning (ERP) tools.

What you can do - Next Steps

Today

Begin to catalogue available Open Source software and consider what it could mean for you.

Near Future

Begin an evaluation of your existing software and IT legacy. Determine how Open Source will benefit you.
Evaluate risk factors such as the Open Source vendor's reputation... not all Free Software will be suitable for you.
Experiment with these products and establish how they could be applied in your business.
Implement suitable adoption policies and build governance models around them.

Open Source Consultants

We offer a range of services to help you with Open Source including:

More Information - Quote for Open Source Services

If you are looking for Open Source Services in Birmingham or the West Midlands area then please fill in our online Quote Request form, or feel free to contact us on the details below.