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Most business owners spend a lot of money on proprietary software, but in some cases this is one expense you can save on. There are alternatives that are both free and open source.
 Since many businesses use Microsoft Office, first on the list of options is Open Office. This software includes programs for word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, databases, and more. The interface is very similar to Microsoft Office and other similar office suites. We like Open Office because we can use the Open Office file type internally and be able to save as a Microsoft Office file type to share with others who use that software. We're also able to open Microsoft Office documents in Open Office without a hitch.
 GIMP serves as an open source substitute for Photoshop. Although not as comprehensive as the Adobe product, GIMP does allow users to produce simple Web graphics, modify product photos, and create flyers and other marketing materials. GIMP's interface is very similar to Photoshop's interface and all the images created can be saved in a variety of formats. This is a must have if you are preparing and uploading images to your own site. Images MUST be optimized for the web to decrease page loading times and save on disk space.
 Zamzar Have you ever wanted to convert files without the need to download software? Zamzar to the rescue. Zamzar is a free online file conversion site where you can convert your files in 4 easy steps, and get the converted file emailed to you when it's done. Zamzar can convert document files, image files, audio files and video files.
 GnuCash is another alternative that is a free accounting software. With this software, users can track income, expenses, bank accounts, and stocks. Other features include the monitoring of accounts payable, accounts receivable, and detailed reporting. Users can also import data from programs such as Microsoft Money and Quicken and can export data to spreadsheets such as Microsoft Excel.
 Zimbra. This software is a free collaboration suite that serves as a high-level email program. It provides email, calendar, document storing and editing, instant messaging, and easy-to-use administrative controls. The open source edition of Zimbra also integrates with other email clients such as Outlook and Apple Mail.
As mentioned earlier, all these programs are free and are compatible with most common operating systems. By using them, businesses could see significant savings in investments and maintenance costs.
Because these programs are Open Source, they are developed collabratively and have generous communities of support to help with your questions on installation and use.
Money savings should never be the only motivation for utilizing this software. A business should be able to function just as it would with proprietary software. Fortunately, since it is free, businesses have adequate time to test the software before they make a complete transfer.
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