Open Source Solutions For Small Business Problems (Networking...

Features

• Cover Type: Paperback with 556 pages
• Published by: Charles River Media
• Edition: 1st Edition May 15, 2004
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 1584503203
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-1584503200
• Book Dimensions: 9 x 7.3 x 1.3 inches
• Weighs: 2.2 pounds

Book Description
Ninety percent of companies in the United States qualify as small businesses. Every day these employers have to deal with common computing problems, such as tracking electronic documents, scheduling, accounting functions, managing contact lists, and reducing spam. Many expensive software products are available to help solve these problems, but they often have features small businesses don't need (or are missing the ones they do). Open source software presents easy-to-implement solutions at a fraction of the cost. Unfortunately, these solutions are relatively unknown to most small businesses. Open Source Solutions for Small Business Problems explores operational problems most small businesses share. It identifies good open source software that can help businesses solve these problems, and compares them to their proprietary counterparts. The strengths and weaknesses of the open source packages are discussed, and additional information is included on how to integrate open source with existing proprietary systems to achieve specific goals. This is the perfect reference for the tech professional looking for help choosing and understanding great open source software to deploy in a business setting, as well as for small business proprietors interested in streamlining their business problems using computer-based solutions.

About The Author
John Locke (Seattle, WA) is the principal consultant for Freelock LLC, where he acts as a technology advisor helping small businesses solve operational and communication problems using open source software.

Reader Reviews
I just finished a rather interesting and different book on Open Source Software. The title is Open Source Solutions for Small Business Problems by John Locke (Charles River Media). The author contacted me and asked if I'd like to review the book, and I accepted. Since this is an area which is grabbing more of my interest these days, it was helpful in many ways... First, the chapter layout: Part 1 - Small Business Computing Infrastructure - Open Source Software in Your Small Business; Why You Need A Server; Setting Up Your Office Network; Open Source on the Desktop; Setting Up an Email Server; Setting Up a Web Server Part 2 - Computing Your Business Operations - Customer Relationship Management; Calendar and Schedule Management; Document Management; Financial Management; Managing Resources, Schedules, and Projects Part 3 - Extending Your Business With Open Source - Sharing Information with Your Partners; Marketing Your Message; Connect from Offsite; Providing Private Communications Part 4 - Keeping Your Network Secure and Intact - Securing Business Data; Network Security in a Wireless World; Disaster Recovery; Viruses and Spam Appendices - The Open Source Definition; Basics Of Networking; Common Open Source Licenses When I first started reading it, I was expecting something non-technical in nature, something that would be targeted for the average business owner that knows s/he wants to spend less on software and is looking for alternatives. And to be sure, the book does deliver to that group. But there are also chapters (or areas within each chapter) where the content gets pretty technical. For instance, the detail on how to set up a web server isn't for the person who simply wants to turn on their computer and go. These areas are going to appeal to the in-house technical support person who's been charged with making it all work. While you could (and probably should) find whole books on many of these topics, there's enough detail to get you started in the right direction. I think Part 2 is extremely valuable, in that it helps both the business owner and the techie figure out what's available in terms of open source alternatives to the typical business software. You learn about OpenOffice.org as a replacement to Microsoft's Office. You learn about MySQL as an alternative to Microsoft Access or many other more expensive relational database systems. You'd be able to find all this out if you dug around on the web long enough, but the author packages up the information in a single location and helps you start to understand what's available for you. There's also a CD in the back of the book that contains many of the open source packages discussed in the book. Being that these packages move pretty quickly as far as release cycles go, I think I'd prefer visit the web site for the specific package and download the latest. Still, if you're wanting something quick, you'll have it on the CD. At first, the mix of technical and non-technical content in each chapter didn't quite set right. I wanted the book to target one or the other. But the longer I read, the more I liked the fact that the book could serve as a single volume to allow both the tech and non-tech sides of a business to come together on common ground. The non-techies can ignore the parts that are over their heads, but still understand the possibilities. The techies will understand where the business is coming from, and will get a good start on implementing the software. As a result, I give this book high marks for anyone wanting to some or all of their business computing to an open source model. Comment | | (Report this)