Jason G. Caudill

Assistant Professor of Business AdministrationCarson-Newman College

Introduction

Businesses need technology resources to operate

Commercial software licenses can be expensive

Open source software alternatives can provide technology resources without licensing fees

The functionality of the software is key

What is Open Source?

Software that is freely distributed Software the freely distributes not

only the software, but also the source code Source code: the programming language

behind a computer program

Benefits of Open Source

Communities of developers can work simultaneously to: Fix identified

problems Create program

extensions Create plug-ins to

expand program capabilities

What do these benefits add up to? Faster development

times Faster responses to

problems More responsive to

user requests

Advantages to Small Business License Costs:

No purchase fees No fees to upgrade to the next version Affordable to have infrequently used

software Expansion Costs:

Open source can be freely distributed to employees for home use

Additional workstations can be added without additional licensing costs

Open Source Usability Features

Many open source products read and save in the most popular commercial file formats

Many of the most popular open source products are available for Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems

Small Business is Unique

Capital/Liquidity Staffing

Small businesses need the best results from minimum investments to optimize efficiency

Open source programs give businesses productivity without capital expenditures

Small businesses often can’t afford IT support or training

Open source offers active user communities for support

Open source offers many online tutorials for training

Open Source software gives small businesses technology resources and support without requiring new expenditures or additional staffing

Open Source Program Categories Productivity

Office suites

Communication Web browsers E-mail clients Voice

communications

Media Web editors Image editors Vector graphics

programs Desktop publishing

Open Source Office Suite

. The Novell release, with the available

Open XML translator, is compatible with Office 2007 – available here

This is a great example of the benefits of communities of developers!

Includes: word processor, presentation creator, spreadsheet, database, and drawing program

Web Browser

. Powerful, full-featured, multi-

platform web browser Expandable – many plug-ins give

Firefox great tools to make web browsing and research easier

Available from www.mozilla.org

E-mail Client

. Full-featured, multiplatform e-mail

client Supports POP and IMAP e-mail Excellent SPAM filter Will host multiple accounts Available from www.mozilla.org

Voice Communication

. Call system management Supports Voice Over IP (VOIP)

telephony Can provide voicemail, telephony

web interface, or a conference bridge

Available at http://www.asterisk.org/

Web Editor

. A What You See Is What You Get

(WYSIWYG) web editor Supports advanced features like

templates, forms, Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), and has an integrated File Transfer Protocol (FTP) server

Tag and HTML editing is also available Online at http://www.kompozer.net/

Image Editing

. The GNU Image Manipulation

Program (GIMP) Basic and advanced image editing

including cropping, brightness and contrast controls, multiple layers, filters, and editing masks

Online at http://www.gimp.org/

Vector Graphics

. Useful for creation of original images Vector graphics are good for creating

logos, illustrations, and other images Vector graphics are scalable – they

can be altered to different sizes without distortion

Online at http://www.inkscape.org/

Desktop Publishing

. Provides options for creating

professional print publications such as newsletters, flyers, and other documents

Online at http://www.scribus.net/

Conclusion

Selecting the proper selection of software can provide small businesses with necessary technical resources

Even the smallest companies have the ability to produce and use integrated technology solutions

For more open source options go to www.sourceforge.net or http://www.osalt.com/

Contact

Contact Jason at jason@jasoncaudill.com or via his website at www.jasoncaudill.com