Pro Freeware and Open Source Solutions for Business

Pro Freeware and Open Source Solutions for Business is a practical guide for the small business owner seeking viable alternative to expensive commercial software packages and subscriptions. This reference guide provides an overview of many popular and powerful free alternatives to proprietary software. Not only can small business owners benefit from this book, but educators and students can as well.

In this book you will find free and open source solutions for office productivity, PDF creation, accounting, image editing and graphic design, desktop publishing, 3D design, CAD, audio and video editing, website and blog creation, customer relationship management, point of sale, networking and security, and alternatives to the Windows and Macintosh operating systems.

This guide helps free the cost-conscious business owner from the bonds of expensive proprietary software by exploring the free and powerful alternatives that exist. You can save a substantial sums of money by replacing just a few commercial software titles with free and open source solutions. Learn how with Pro Freeware and Open Source Solutions for Business today.

What you’ll learn

• Learn the difference between freeware and open source applications
• Why open source software is gaining more traction, especially in cities throughout Europe
• The potential savings each application offers
• Which software is ideal for your particular needs
• Which commercial title each application replaces
• The potential cost savings each application offers
• Which operating system(s) each software title runs on
• Where to get support for a particular software title

Who this book is for

Pro Freeware and Open Source Solutions for Business is written for the cost-conscious small business owner who needs viable software solutions to run their organization, but without the exorbitant price tags and restrictions that accompany proprietary packages. Small business owners will discover workable replacements for big name packages, such as Microsoft, Adobe, and Quick Books Pro, among others. This book is written for the time-conscious business owner and puts tons of valuable information at the reader’s fingertips. All of the heavy research has been done and is presented clearly.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Office Productivity, Note Taking, Accounting, and PDF Creation
Chapter 2: Point-of-sale, CRM, Backup, and Compression Software
Chapter 3: Desktop Publishing, Illustration, Painting, and 3D Modeling Software
Chapter 4: Photo Editing Software
Chapter 5: Audio-Video Capture, Conversion and Editing Software
Chapter 6: Project Planning, Inventory Management, and Time Tracking Software
Chapter 7: Web Site Creation Software and Web Browsers
Chapter 8: Content Management Solutions
Chapter 9: Network and Security Utilities
Chapter 10: Linux: The Free Alternative to Windows and Mac OS
Appendix A: Professional Profiles
Appendix B: Additional Software Products
Appendix C: Resources for Free and Open Source Software