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!