Open Source Can Help Your Business 

What is Open Source?

The term “open source“ itself means the disclosure of the programming code. Because of this, software can be modified, developed, and integrated into existing systems.
The Open Source Initiative gives a definition of open source software and uses that definition, which is similar to the idea of free software, to evaluate software.

A large community has largely written and developed the software, which has many benefits. For instance, open-source software frequently fixes bugs much more quickly than commercial software.

Open-source software must adhere to certain requirements:

The software’s source code is accessible in a form that is readable and understandable by humans. Everyone should be able to understand how the program is put together and change it to fit their needs.

The program is openly usable, copyable, and distributable. Free does not necessarily imply that there are no associated costs; rather, the term refers to the right to understand what the software does and how it works, as well as the freedom to modify it and, most importantly, use it as is. Users and installations are both unlimited.

The software may be modified and distributed in its modified state.

The benefits of open source

Try to cut costs

Probably the best thing about open-source software is that it’s free! You don’t have to buy it, and you don’t have to pay any license fees. You must include the following potential costs: IT infrastructure; customization; maintenance; and support. While you can accomplish all of that on your own, having professional assistance is frequently beneficial.

Be self-sufficient

You won’t be dependent on a software vendor and his pricing if you use open source software. The software is future-proof because hundreds of programmers from around the world will be working on it, so you won’t have to worry if a commercial company stops supporting your product.

Flexibility

You require unique features made specifically for your company’s requirements. It is your responsibility, or that of any company providing support, to change and improve the Open Source code.

Safety and Quality

Open Source Software is being developed by a sizable community. The majority of the time, the source code is written in a widely used programming language to ensure that everyone can understand it. Bugs and security issues are quickly found and fixed.

Compatibility

Working with open standards, open source software makes IT system communication easier than it would be with proprietary products.

Open Source Business Solutions

For almost all of your office and business needs, there is an Open Source solution available. We want to give you an overview of the products we can suggest to you given the variety of software that is currently available.

Operating System

Although Windows is the most commonly used operating system in offices, Linux has emerged as a viable and secure alternative. The savings on license costs, in particular, should not be overlooked in your business plan.
There are numerous free Linux distributions available, including Fedora, Debian, and Ubuntu, to name a few. They are user-friendly and make it simple to switch from Windows thanks to their graphical user interfaces.
In addition to being used frequently in government, education, business, and other sectors of the public sector, Linux is also increasingly prevalent in the private sector.

http://www.debian.org/
http://www.ubuntu.com/
http://fedoraproject.org/

Office Software

Microsoft Office is well known to all. But there are also well-liked and popular open source substitutes, like Libre Office. Libre Office, which offers all the features we are used to from Microsoft Office, is an improved version of Open Office. To make it easier to use the word processing, spreadsheet, or presentation software, even the look and feel has been preserved.

http://www.libreoffice.org/

Website CMS

Open source content management systems have been used to create the majority of websites. Those solutions are widely available, very professional, and ideal for almost any purpose. The most popular ones are WordPress, Joomla!, and Typo3. Numerous (and even free) templates are available, and hundreds of plugins will simplify your life as a programmer.

http://typo3.org/
http://www.joomla.org/
http://wordpress.com/

Account Management

Small and medium-sized businesses should keep an eye on OpenYabs if they require a simple system for managing accounts and invoices. All of your customer, product, and supplier information is stored in this open source billing and customer support system. It is simple to use and maintains an overview of all invoices. Additionally, it seamlessly integrates with any desired office software, whether it be for profit or not. It is the perfect system for all businesses that have outsourced their accounting functions and do not wish to handle bookkeeping.

http://openyabs.org/

Customer Relation Management

Professional customer management is probably one of the most important tasks for any business. CRM systems provide access to a customer database that has all the necessary information for departments like marketing and sales. We use SugarCrm, a program with lots of cool features that is widely used.

http://www.sugarcrm.com/

Database

You will need to carefully consider your options, particularly in regards to the database that you should use for your company. A poor choice could end up costing you a lot of money. Commercial databases like Oracle have high licensing fees and extra fees for setup and support. what other options are there then? Although MySQL is widely used, Oracle has owned it since 2010. Anyone who wants to use open source software won’t be content with this constellation. In the world of MSSQL and Microsoft, the same thing occurs. You could use uncommon databases like MariaDB or MongoDB, but why not choose the best right away? You can obtain the most potent open source object-relational database system with PostgreSQL. You can easily set it up and use it, and if you need assistance, you know where to find us.

http://www.postgresql.org/