I know, shocking isn’t it? Quite simply we haven’t had time, and after all our big ideas’n’all! Much as we love bringing you titbits and bibelots from the world of technology and geekery, we’ve just had our hands full with other things. While this is a good thing, we do miss the Free Press and will have to have a bit of a think about how to bring you tecchie fun and information in the future. When we have time.
Our technical director, Kevin Dontenville, was approached to contribute to an article on open source software for small firms:
Having the right software in place will enable you to run your business efficiently and help you compete in your market. But is it necessary to invest in commercial software or are open source alternatives just as good? Kathryn McCann finds out.
In a 2010 study by Zenoss, respondents cited flexibility and cost savings among the most compelling reasons for using open source software (OSS).
Kevin Dontenville, technical director of OpenSure, says: “The key criteria are to pick software that solves a specific business need and has a wide user base and a good, vibrant community.”
OSS is freely distributed, making the source code available to users who can tailor it to their exact needs or even create and distribute their own versions. However, anyone who uses the code must follow the licence terms and transfer them to anyone to whom they pass the software.
What are the benefits of OSS?
While with commercial software you need to pay for enough licences to cover all the users in your business, with OSS you can add unlimited users without charge. This means you can easily scale up, or scale down without worrying about having wasted money on redundant licences.
Although users are still bound by a licence, open source licences generally protect the rights of the user rather than imposing restrictions.
Users also argue that OSS is more reliable and robust than commercial alternatives. Because other developers can inspect and suggest amends to the code and contribute bug fixes and extensions, OSS gradually evolves to better meet the needs of its users.
What are the cost savings of open source software for businesses?
Ready-to-use versions of many open source packages are available as downloads or cloud-based systems for free. However for complex applications, like CRM packages, you might have to use a third party for implementation support.
To do a realistic cost comparison, consider the total cost of ownership of the software, any agency services and training you might need, as well as temporary loss of productivity while you learn the ropes.
Alan Lord, co-founder of Libertus Solutions, explains: “There is a learning curve for most people when they start using open source versions of well-known commercial software and some training may be needed initially. But for most businesses the benefits far outweigh the downsides of retraining and reskilling.”
What support is available?
The best source of support for OSS packages is user forums. There’s also a growing range of companies that provide paid-for support.
But what if the originator of the code disappears? Dontenville reassures: “Open source software will not vanish because the source code is open for anyone to continue working with and supporting. When proprietary software companies fail, client businesses are genuinely stuck. With open source the risk is mitigated in the user’s favour.”
What’s the best way to select OSS?
Start by visiting a site like Sourceforge to look through the available options and browse the user forums of the OSS packages that look promising.
Make sure there are plenty of recent postings, then try searching for existing answers to your own questions. If the responses look too technical, consider another option or speak to an expert.
Lord concludes: “Investigate the open source alternatives before you buy commercial software. Don’t be scared ― open source software just tends to do what you want it to and there are lots of people available to help.”
Explore open source software for business available on the Sourceforge website
© BHP Information Solutions 2012
Welcome to the latest edition of the Free Press. We’ve been snowed under with enquiries this month and hope 2012 is off to a similarly roaring start for you. Maybe something in this edition will help speed things along.
Tuxedu
OpenSure has been supporting HLUG‘s work taking open source software into schools, with the full blessing of Herefordshire Council’s education powers that be. HLUG will shortly be overseeing the installation of Tuxedu onto the network of a Herefordshire primary school, and last week paid an evening visit to the school to talk to parents about the software. It was a huge success with visitor numbers far outstripping those the school usually sees at after-hours meetings. Parents had a ball trying out the software and went away with Tuxedu loaded onto USB sticks. For the uninitiated, HLUG has made a YouTube video to demonstrate booting from a USB stick. It’s presented by the youngest HLUGger, a delightful young lady of nine, Polly.
Google+
OpenSure created a Google+ page a couple of weeks ago, on a ‘hmm, what’s this all about?’ basis. We’re interested in the effect it might have on our search engine ranking, and of course we want to make sure we grab our business name. It’s always a good idea to make sure you nab your business’s name in this type of context. We started a bit of a chat about it on LinkedIn and it seems we’re all a bit unsure quite how we make the most of it. People have contributed some useful links in the conversation so if you’re looking to make something of Google+ why not read what people are saying?
SOPA/PIPA
So you heard Wikipedia was down for the day – did your world fall apart? Probably not, but a serious point was being made. In a nutshell, the SOPA and PIPA legislation is designed to prevent online piracy, but can be construed in such a way that all sorts of ‘innocent’ sites could find themselves being taken offline and is viewed by many as a massive threat to the free flow of information on the internet. This article talks about it in a sensible, grown up way, and this is Oatmeal’s take on the whole thing. As always, Oatmeal is not for the faint-hearted.
Keeping kit tikkety-boo
Did you know computer bugs are so called because in the early days of mainframes moths and other creepy crawlies would get into the workings and cause havoc? I doubt many of us have that problem these days, but even so, grot is bad news for computer kit so follow these steps every now and again (with everything switched OFF, y’hear me?):
- Turn your keyboard upside down and squeal with revulsion at what falls out. Try not to eat over your keyboard or throw coffee at it. Crumbs and dampness will interfere with the contacts and the action of the buttons.
- Your screen will benefit from the occasional wipe with a soft and slightly damp cloth. You don’t need expensive specialist screen cleaner. Splashes on the screen can cause corrosion.
- Dust acts as a blanket for your PC. Take the back off and gently use the brush attachment on the hoover to remove the dust that will inevitably accumulate over time. A dust-free machine will require less cooling and therefore use less energy, and you don’t run the risk of an overheating-related crash.
- On a similar theme, give your PC a bit of respect. Don’t stack piles of junk on top of it and give it a bit of personal space for ventilation. This is vital business equipment, not an expensive side-table.
- Make sure cables aren’t being jammed under doors or run over by chairs. Every so often check they’re not about to fry you.
From the archive
A year ago we were looking at the new-fangled practice of employees taking their own hardware into work (BYO). Over the last year a great deal has been written about this and it’s now quite a poser for many large companies. How do you manage this in your organisation?
Other bits and pieces that caught our eye:
- NanoNote – the 3″ laptop
- Overhauling ICT teaching – oh please oh please oh please
- Using photos to drive web traffic
- The EU’s position on web privacy
- How a tablet saved cricket
Who are we following on Twitter?
Red Pepper Comms (@redpeppercomms) – Worcester-based PR company
Fraggle Works (@FraggleWorks) – Shropshire web designers
The BSIA (@thebsia) – The British Security Industry Association
Blue Sheep (@BlueSheepTweets) – Cheltenham marketing and data strategists
Black Pear Media (@BlackPearMedia) – Worcester-based PR & marketing
Red Pepper Comms (@redpeppercomms) – Worcester-based PR company
Fraggle Works (@FraggleWorks) – Shropshire web designers
The BSIA (@thebsia) – The British Security Industry Association
Blue Sheep (@BlueSheepTweets) – Cheltenham marketing and data strategists
Black Pear Media (@BlackPearMedia) – Worcester-based PR & marketing