How Small Businesses Can Use Open Source
Rolling out Linux in your company offers advantages. It's cheap, fast and is less prone to worms and viruses. The most common uses for Linux today in small businesses are server-based. Linux machines make good file servers, print servers, database servers and webservers. Open source software has been more successful so far in infrastructure software than in applications software.
File and Print Servers:: A file server differs from a desktop computer in that it is dedicated to storing files in a centralized location while permitting network access. By having a file server, users can save work and have access to files without having to carry around a disk. Access privileges can be restricted by file or directory, while a centralized location means once place to backup all files.
This is the most common type of server in small businesses. Linux works great as a network file server. Linux includes software called Samba that allows files on the server to be viewed and edited on any Windows PC or Macintosh computer. Samba is faster and more secure than the native file sharing services available on Microsoft Windows machines, and you can connect to shares on the Linux file server, just as you would on your Windows file server. Everything will look the same and there are no per-user licenses required.
My experience is that Linux performs better as a file server than Windows. The reason that this true--even when Linux runs on older and slower hardware--is that hardware resources focus on processing user requests rather than running the OS.
The same Samba technology that enables file service on Linux and FreeBSD also enables print service.
Database and Web Service: Database servers can be constructed using PostgreSQL or other free database engines. Connect them to Apache with Python, PHP or other languages and you have your own Web application environment. Indeed, Journyx got started as a Web-based accounting application built on PostgreSQL, Apache, Python and Linux.
What to Watch Out For
Many people have more skills in Windows than in Linux. This is particularly true in small businesses. Therefore, investment in learning may be steeper initially in open source than in Windows. If you are considering rolling out this technology in your company, keep in mind the skill levels of the people in the company regarding this kind of technology.
If you are currently using any of the on-demand SaaS applications such as Journyx or Salesforce.com, you are already using open source technologies.
With the growth in the OSS marketplace, led by Linux, more and more companies will be using OSS as a portion of their IT infrastructure, particularly in the arena of servers. As more applications become Web-based, there will be less and less reason for people to use Windows or Macintosh desktop computers. Companies like Num Sum and Writely provide traditional applications akin to Excel and Word through a web browser interface. Windows isn't going away any time soon, but its days are numbered. OSS is shrinking Windows lifetime for servers and eventually it may do so for desktop machines as well. And that should provide interesting developments for all of us to watch.
