Free and Open Source Software
Software - in and of itself - doesn't solve business problems. Our use of open source software, which we can provide free of license fees, puts the value of the software itself into perspective. While software is often a crucial component of a business solution, it has no value unless it is integrated into your business processes and you know how to use it! Not only does proprietary software (i.e. traditional software for which you have to pay a license fee) have no intrinsic value, it is a net cost to your business.
We at Egressive believe that only with integration, customisation, training, and ongoing support provided by skilled IT professionals can a business realise a return on its computing infrastructure investment. With Egressive and open source software, you do get what you pay for: an excellent service.
Open Source Software Installation and Migration to Open Source Software
Egressive works with businesses and organisations who are setting up new systems or making a move to using open source software, from the Linux operating system to office products. We will analyse your requirements before installing anything and will make sure you understand what you are getting. Once the systems/software has been installed we will be on hand to provide ongoing support as required.
Migrating to Open Source Software doesn't have to be an all-or-nothing exercise - you can incrementally install individual Open Source Software applications to meet specific needs in your business. By their very nature, Open Source Software packages are designed to build on and integrate with other software packages, so they will usually work well with your existing servers, PCs, laptops and applications.
Since there are no licence costs, it is not expensive to test new applications, even with a large trial.
Ongoing Support and Training
Egressive offers support and training for all open source software that is installed for customers. This is commonly used by customers who have migrated their desktop machines to Linux or who have moved to the Open Office suite of tools.
Drupal Content Management System
Egressive offers both training and support for customers who have a web solution that uses the Drupal content management system. The training comes as a set of structured lessons that are aimed at the customer's experience. The training can be delivered as specific sets of lessons for people with specific roles or as general training for customers who need a broader set of skills to manage their web site.
Advocacy
Egressive is firmly committed to the idea that collaboration produces superior results to competition in the computing and software marketplace - plus it's more fun. To collaborate, however, people need to be able to work together - achieved by adhering to open standards - and want to work together - the ethos of the open source community. If businesses produce goods that adhere to common standards, the marketplace benefits because they can value those products on their inherent quality - are they safe, cost effective, fit for purpose, etc., rather than whether or not they work with any existing infrastructure.
If you have questions on open source - perhaps you're considering making one of your company's software products open source, or have questions on open standards and how they apply to computing, or believe you are putting your company at risk by using open source software or adhering to open standards - please contact us and we'll be happy to provide consultation services to
- explain the implications of using or incorporating open source software into your business processes,
- explain various considerations and the implications of making a product open source,
- discuss some of the licensing options available, and their conceptual differences,
- discuss the implications of incorporating open source technologies in your software products,
- discuss what's involved in ensuring your applications conform to relevant open standards, such as the W3C standards for web content to which this site conforms.
We have been living and breathing open source and open standards for more than 10 years. We use Open Source Software applications in all facets of our business and we are confident we can help you understand how they can work in your business.
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