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

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

Google+
We’ve created a Google+ business page. If you’re on Google+ too please look us up and tell us what we’re missing.

The Digital Diet
Interesting. This Telegraph article calculates your digital weight, ie how heavy a user you are of a variety of technologies and the magnificently misconstruable “other devices requiring a charger”. The article raises a serious point, that many of us have allowed technology to get the upper hand in our lives when we should be the ones in charge, especially if we’re business owners who don’t have to fit in with Megacorp policy on availability. For what it’s worth, I scored 44, but I blame those other devices…

Well I’ll be mayored
The salient line of this BBC article about New York mayor Michael Bloomberg learning to code is as follows:

It is not clear what Mr Bloomberg hopes to do with his new computer skills

Quite. Publicity stunt publicity stunt publicity stunt, but it serves to highlight that coding skills are what computing is really about. It’s not the Michael Bloombergs and Boris Johnsons of this world learning to code that will benefit anyone, but Billy in Year 7 who will make a difference as he goes out into the world armed with red hot skills. Coding is described in the article as “the new Latin” – discuss.

Resolutions
Why not make 2012 the year you get into good IT habits? What’s that? You already have? Well congratulations, they’re their own reward: well-maintained equipment, smoothly-running services and reliably backed-up, secure data make a great basis for running a company.

Good habits fall into three broad categories as mentioned above: keeping your kit in good working order, using software and services that work well and deliver what you need, and ensuring your systems are secure. Over the next three editions of the Free Press we’ll be looking at how to approach each of these areas for the best results. As always, advice has to be fairly general but we’re happy to offer personal help and advice – please email info@opensure.net. Our one tip for now: act immediately on requests to unsubscribe from any mailing services you manage. People shouldn’t have to ask twice, or three times. Apart from being against the rules, it’s bad manners on the mailer’s part and creates bad will, and none of us can afford that.

From the archive
This time last year we were talking about disaster recovery.  No doubt, this time, everything in the office behaved impeccably while you were otherwise engaged, but just spare a moment to consider what the fall out could have been for your business if there had been a problem leading to data loss – customer details, orders, invoices. Aside from the direct consequences for you, you also have responsibility for customer data that you hold. Our article from January last year bears rereading. And there’s a nice picture of horses.

Other bits and pieces that caught our eye:

• GCHQ recruiting via social media
• 10 office gadgets that won’t survive – how many do you still have?
• 20 top Twitter tips
• Tasks to save for the train
• Creative USB sticks – just can’t beat that bear
• The Facebook death app

Who are we following on Twitter?
We’re using a beta open source Twitter client called Polly. Apart from its splendid name, it’s a very nifty little program, though being beta there are still some features that need a last tweak. The latest accounts we’ve followed are:

Zane Wine Bar (@ZaneWineBar) – a wine bar and bistro in St Owen Street, Hereford.
Volks Cafe, Hereford (@volks_cafe) – we love this idea: it’s a coffee bar in a van and it comes to you.
Pack It, Hereford (@PackItHereford) –  direct mail, binding, packing etc, lots of reasons to love what Pack It does.
DJD Architects, Worcester (@djdarchitects) – does what it says on the tin: Worcester-based architects.
Invoco, Bromsgrove (@invoco_ltd) – business telecoms provider with a bent for start-ups. We like.

Aaargh. Articles like this from UKAuthorITy make us want to scream, not because they don’t, underneath it all, have a bit of a point, but because of the constant harping on the theme of hardware, when all the kit in the world won’t make a blind bit of difference while the IT curriculum remains so moribund and entirely focussed away from teaching children anything about real computing.

The article focusses on the costs of providing “learning technology devices such as laptops at home and at school”, specifically that schools are not using the pupil premium to good effect. Valerie Thompson, chief executive of the e-Learning Foundation, is quoted in the article as follows:

“there is no reason why schools should not be deploying some or all of the pupil premium on devices like netbooks, lower-end laptops and tablets”

Well fine, of course children should become familiar with current technologies, and there’s always a lot to be gained by working with what children find fascinating. We agree with her remarks about technology being a strand that should run through all the teaching a school does rather than a dedicated and isolated subject, but how can any article on provision of technology, especially from a charity with the aim of ensuring all children have access to learning technology, not talk about Open Source or tackle the issue of current IT teaching and how it’s letting down a generation of students? There needs to be a whole new approach to deploying IT to the best advantage of everyone in a school, and providing flash new technology is just one part of that. In our opinion no one aspect of this uphill task can be discussed in isolation, or not if we’re going to achieve anything.

Herefordshire and Shropshire Councils have secured European Regional Development Funding to run the
Business Enterprise Fund jointly, with £500,000 available in each county for start ups and businesses to bid
into over the next three years.
For individuals wanting to start up a business, capital grants are available for up to 50% of the eligible
investment or a maximum of £1,500. For small and medium sized businesses that are currently trading,
capital grants are available for up to 50% of the eligible investment or a maximum of £1,500 for those trading
under 9 months old or a maximum of £5,000 for a business over 9 months old.

Due to European regulations, the Fund is restricted to certain sectors.
Unfortunately, the fund cannot support:
Retail and other businesses that solely sell products or services directly to the general public
Land-based industries including farms.
The next application deadline is 10th January 2012.
For further information contact:
To discuss your eligibility and receive an application form,please contact Lyndsay McCron, Project Officer -
tel: 01432 383633 / email: lmccron@herefordshire.gov.uk

Are you VAT registered? If you answered no go straight to the next blog post; if yes, read on.

From 1st April 2012 VAT registered business will be required to submit their VAT returns online and make VAT payments electronically. There’s plenty of help and advice about this on the internet, but as well as understanding what you’re doing, you need to be sure that your records are secure and backed up and that your systems are up to the job.

If you’ve been thinking about upgrading equipment, purchasing additional hardware or otherwise making changes to your IT set-up, do it sooner rather than later. We can advise on the security and performance of your systems and implement any changes that would improve performance. Don’t forget that as we use open source software and always try to maximise existing kit before buying new, tuning up your systems won’t cost the earth. And you can always reclaim the VAT.

from all at OpenSure