Budgeting for Business
Managing budgets is quite often a crucial part of any business that is woefully overlooked, especially for startups. A key area where budgets are strained is in the software that is used. Most users are familiar with using Windows or Mac along with Office applications and Antivirus software without much regard to costs beyond their initial purchase. However, for businesses, these software costs have a long-term and continuous impact.
Software is Expensive
So when we take a business approach to software where each PC would have a typical Windows operating system, Microsoft Office program, and Antivirus software, we can see how costs can add up quickly across multiple machines. In addition to the initial software costs, you also have ongoing licensing fees and any technical support services you might need beyond software.
Open Source Software as a Business Solution
Open Source Software, like the Linux operating system, is used in billions of computing devices daily. For everything from personal computing to supercomputers. Businesses especially rely heavily on Linux as a foundation to run their systems and the best part is that it’s a free open-source operating system.
Using Open Source Software can serve a variety of needs for many forms of businesses. For the typical office setup described earlier, an alternative free setup would be:
- Desktop Operating System: Linux Mint
- Office application: LibreOffice
- Antivirus: not an absolute requirement for desktop Linux
- Software costs and licenses: $0
Free Open Source Software is Good
Now the term “Free” is not often associated with quality software products. As mentioned earlier, Linux is used in every aspect of the business. So quality is not something that should be of concern. What is of value is that these free Open Source options have matured to the point where it’s simple, stable, and compatible with other software programs like Microsoft Office. And since much of our daily computing needs center on internet browsers like Chrome, users will feel right at home on an Open Source computer.
Technology is rapidly evolving and developing software solutions that lead to more efficient budgets. This is something that all businesses can gain value from. Contact us for professional technology and support solutions.
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