Open Source Solutions for Small Business Problems

Brian Proffitt, editor of Linux World, has a nice editorial debunking “Total Cost of Ownership” (TCO) studies in general, because they only fit the particular business being studied. He points out that if you constrain Linux and open source applications to fit a Windows model, of course you’re going to spend more. The point analysts overlook is this: “getting Linux to accommodate a business rather than the other way around is a much, much easier proposition than Windows.”

Read at: Linux Today - Editor’s Note: How Not to Define Linux.

Here’s a short interview with John Terpstra, one of the main developers of the Samba project, from LinuxWorld in San Francisco: LinuxWorld: Small vendors on right track with SMB focus

I’ve spoken with John on the phone before about some troublesome Samba installations, and agree completely with his assessment of the marketplace. He points out that only 16,500 businesses in North America employ more than 500 people, out of around 27.6 million businesses. From the article:

The problem is that everyone wants to be a star operating in the big-time star space. Smart businesses don’t start off attempting to be stars, but have a clear vision that they have to appeal to the volume market with a pain point and dollars to spend relieving that pain. The SMB market today is screaming for an alternative to Microsoft, but as I speak to those companies, I keep getting the same complaint: ‘We don’t know how to solve our problems with Linux. It’s too difficult to use. I can’t get support. I don’t know how to do it.’ That is the big opportunity that Linux and open source providers are missing.

That’s the big opportunity we’re pursuing at Freelock Computing. We just hired our first employee. Drop us a line if you’d like to help out…

Another good, brief story shedding insight into the economics of Open Source. It’s not just about licensing and deployment costs–it’s about investing in your people, which can generate bigger gains down the road. It’s not just saving money, it’s creating opportunity.

Expert: With open-source software, ROI tough to peg - Computerworld.

… and here’s a key quote from the article, from Robert M. Lefkowitz:

“Open-source provides a mechanism to identify the good [workers]” because “good people invest in themselves, learning technologies they can use throughout their careers,” he said. “Expertise matters. If you have better people, you’ll manage the hardware and software better.”

This essay is from an open source developer, talking about his motivations to write free software. It refers to a bunch of projects that may not mean anything to the general public, but it still provides insight into some of the key motivations. Hint: it’s not to make money…

OfB.biz: Open for Business - Qt, the GPL, Business and Freedom

From the article:

Microsoft angers us because it maliciously eliminates choice and then fails or never tries to address the needs of many.