Open Source Solutions for Small Business Problems

Recently we were looking for a service to conduct a survey. We checked out a bunch of different services, including Survey Monkey, and Zoomerang. Each had limitations: memberships that run into hundreds of dollars per year, free versions with limited number of questions or analysis tools, etc. For some reason, we didn’t even think of looking for an open source project. Well, there is one, and it looks like it does everything the services provide: PHPSurveyor.org

We’ve written about encryption in our newsletters on Freelock.com, but it looks like there are some new options available. EncFS is a Linux encryption system that encrypts individual files on the fly, rather than mounting a virtual “encrypted disk.” Loop-AES looks like a new interface for Mandrake’s Drakloop, which we’ve been using and recommending for years. Linux.com | Encrypt filesystems with EncFS and Loop-AES

… by attaching 6 keyboards, mice, and monitors to it, of course. Need to provide a place for guests or workers to get online, and not much more? This can be a very cost-effective solution. Build a Six-headed, Six-user Linux System.

Just ran across this: KnowledgeTree Document Management System. Looks like a real document management system to add to the list. We’ve worked a lot with content management systems, and revision control systems, but this provides management of specifically documents, in a way that meets regulatory compliance needs, and looks a fair bit like Sharepoint…