Open Source and On Demand Perfect for IT Budgets in Downturn

Well its been a hectic few months with several new clients up and running, global economic downturn aside.

Check out one of our customer stories being posted on www.openbusinessondemand.com. John's IT services franchise business is set to rocket ahead, and now, using our opentaps solution, he has a strong underlying business system to support that growth. Fully customised to his business processes.

More stories will be posted soon including ecommerce startups and service organisations.

The downturn is actually a great time to review processes, automate and attain better efficiencies. And what better way than using open source and on demand- as budgets are tightened the need to improve still remains if not increases.

The cost effectiveness and flexibility of open source software (it's generally cheaper if not free and easier to customise), coupled with pay-as-you-go subscriptions (rather than a major capital outlay all at once) makes it a far more attractive proposition for the tight IT budget.

Open Source Flexibility Means Agile Systems

There's been a few interesting posts on open source lately.

Jonathan Schwartz, the CEO at Sun, recently noted a major global client had open source as one of their top priorities for the year. See his blog at http://blogs.sun.com/jonathan/date/20080729?cid=926298. The client had found a number of successful open source projects had sprung up within his organisation, for tasks that were too expensive or difficult to solve with proprietary technologies. Jonathan is seeing this with nearly every customer he meets.

The point is the flexibility (given you/we can work with the code) and availability (often its free) of open source software - makes it an extremely useful tool. One you can modify and streamline typically more easily than proprietary software, to your business needs.

That flexibility is vitally important in a growing business. How easy (and expensive) is it to change an existing proprietary software solution, when your key business processes change? What about as the market you operate in changes - how do you remain agile if your systems cannot? Good systems support your working practices and help you deliver value and thus ongoing if not increased revenues.

For those of you software-development savvy, a key will be ensuring development is multi-tier and customisations easily distinguishable from core code. We don't want to end up with just another run of huge legacy systems that are difficult to maintain. And that's a key area we're working on to ensure the long term viability of an open source ERP solution in a business.

Why open source?

A few people have asked 'why open source' of late.

Firstly, its the commitment of the wider open source community to great software. After all that's what it's all about really. Making great software available to one and all.

Second, it provides a very feasible solution for small and medium sized businesses - who have many of the same needs as larger businesses but can't afford expensive, proprietary software.

Third, the tools we use are already next-generation enterprise software tools. By that I mean they are web-based, and better able to take advantage of new web-based technologies that are already prevalent in consumer web-based applications. They don't need the extra (expensive) software to make their applications available over the internet. They are database and operating system agnostic - you don't need to go out and buy an expensive proprietary database, or operating system for that matter. And because we deliver it online, you don't even have to change your existing infrastructure if you're not already Linux-based.

The last reason is probably the most important. Because the software and the wider community is built on 'open' principles, it enables us to build upon that and create an environment of collaboration. Not just across engineers and developers, but right across all levels of users, consultants and business advisors specifically aimed at improving business performance!

Web 3.0?

Marc Benioff's TechCrunch article on Web 3.0 makes interesting reading (http://www.techcrunchit.com/2008/08/01/welcome-to-web-30-now-your-other-computer-is-a-data-center/).

His point, that 'that anyone can innovate, anywhere' is exactly what we're all about - using open source and an open community. Thus software can be developed, deployed, and evolved far more quickly and cost-effectively than traditional software.

And that means it is not only much more affordable for the small business, but has the power typically only available to big business.

For one definition of Web 3.0 check out Wikipedia's at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_3.0 which includes onDemand (or software-as-a-service) and open technologies in the picture.

Whatever you call it, the next wave of web innovation will include faster, sleeker, more functional, more user-friendly, more configurable, and more enterprise-wide applications that simply enable businesses to be more efficient and more effective at what they do. We plan to help make that happen.

What's it all about?!

Hurrah! We've just launched openBusinessOnDemand.com in Aussie.

One might ask what's it all about?!

Well, for the small/medium business owner and manager, its a very easy way of getting great business management software tools, online. No strings. No fuss.

Does your financials package still cut it? Do you need real customer and service management functions for your growing team? Want to add an online store automated through to inventory, your suppliers and the accounts? Or do you need systems behind your manufacturing and warehousing processes?

Then we're you're man.

But openBusinessOnDemand.com is more than online business software. Yes, our services are very affordable because its based on open source tools. Yes, you can get the software for nothing if you want to DIY.

To me, its about making great software accessible to everyone, not just the big players of the corporate world. That includes getting the kind of functionality you really need to optimise your business processes and provide the platform for high performance.

How do we do this?

Collaboration.

You tell us and our community what you need. Other users and your peers add their thoughts. Business advisors comment, let you know how they can help.

And the engineers, developers and consultants in our community figure out, 'how can we make this happen?' You can engage openly, or with your select group of certified providers.

It's a different model from the old guard. Leveraging the experience we each have locally, and globally, in a networked society.

The new age call it Enterprise 2.0 in a Service Network.

I just call it, better business. Better systems, better practices. More time, more dollars. Stronger business performance.

Yes, there will be lots to figure out along the way and how we work effectively as local and global community. But I'm looking forward to the adventure.

I hope you join us and help keep the dream of great business software for everyone, a reality.