Free Open Source software is a vast subject. So, picking up from where we left off last time, what else is out there to make life simpler – and cheaper – for the small to micro-sized company?
Image editing
You needn’t spend any money at all on pro-level software. For getting images ready for the web, consider the GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Programme). There are enough features and functionality to easily resize and edit digital pictures for use on a website as well as design, export and convert graphics files. Indeed, it contains all the tools you would expect from software costing hundreds.
The installation process can be a bit fiddly for novice users of Open Source software as the GIMP runs on the GTK+ library, which must be installed first.
While the GIMP contains tools to produce high-resolution images for print, it may be a better move for those working in the medium of tree to install Inkscape as well. Inkscape is an accessible vector graphics editor that is capable of producing the fine quality image files, such as SVG, PNG, TIFF etc., necessary for commercial printing.
Think of the GIMP as Photoshop Elements while Inkscape is the full, heavyweight Photoshop. The former relies on raster graphics while the latter uses vector graphics, allowing multiple image layers and mathematical principles to enlarge images without losing quality and definition.
Encryption
There are two types of encryption software: those that encrypt an entire hard disk, and those that encrypt individual files.
Data protection is much in the news these days, and leakages can have significant consequences. Why not, therefore, try out TrueCrypt, which enables entire hard drives, folders or removable media such as USB sticks to be encrypted? Once installed and configured there is nothing more to worry about, TrueCrypt works quietly and automatically in the background protecting all your sensitive data and files.
An alternative is FREE Compusec, which is very similar but is a quick and easy option for small scale or individual item encryption rather than encryption of entire hard drives which can be a drain on computer resources.
Collaboration
Think collaboration, think Groove. Yes, it’s difficult to perceive beyond the groundbreaking product that is no longer a standalone application but now forms part of the Enterprise edition of Microsoft Office 2007.
Happily, there are alternatives if you don’t want to shell out your hard earned. The nearest free products to Groove are most likely Collanos Workplace 1.0 Beta and ThinkFree Workspace beta which are available for the Windows, Linux and Apple platforms. They look good, are secure and seem to work well.
Like Groove, the free apps are in essence a virtual shared drive that allows teams of people to share work, collaborate on projects and act as a base where communications and content are integrated and stored in one location. It can be as simple or as sophisticated as you need it to be, from a message board/document store to a fully featured project management tool. For companies with a dispersed workforce or who are involved in a project with sub contractors or collaborators, this type of application is what’s needed to ensure everyone is singing off the same sheet.
Which collaboration tool to opt for depends on the intended use and the complexity involved. For example, if you merely wish a small group of people to share or store documents and access them remotely there are simpler solutions such as Google Docs, pbwiki or a private blog that only authorised team members can view and edit.
Other online environments that occupy the middle ground include zoho and the Zimbra Collaboration Suite 5.0.
Alternatives to Visio
Most businesses need to produce diagrams and charts but even so there is no real necessity to bite the bullet and buy MS Visio or put up with 30 day trials.
Dia is Open Source software that can produce a wide variety of diagrams, from circuits to flowcharts and entity-relationship models.
Other Visio alternatives include OpenOffice Draw, part of the OpenOffice suite, and Network Notepad.
* Open Source software is free enterprise-class software that businesses of all sizes are adopting to make substantial savings. Being non-proprietary access to the underlying code means developers can build bespoke custom-made applications to suit individual needs. For small to micro-sized companies, the licensing savings of Open Source are hugely significant.
