It is an exciting time for any of us doing business on the Internet. Business is conducted quickly and globally. Quite often it is also free. We communicate at no cost using email. We search for information at no cost using Google. Now, many of us are using free business software too. Government organisations, motivated both by cost and by political factors, are experimenting with free software. You may have heard of these free solutions being described as “open source”.

What do I mean by "free"? Open source software is free in that it often costs nothing. However, there is another even more important way in which open source software is "free". Anyone can view, modify or redistribute the source code that was used to build the software. A legal licence protects this. Open source software might be created by many independent developers (even me), donating their time freely in the pursuit of better software. Companies who understand that software is a service, not a product, make money by selling support for open source software.

So how can open source software help those of us who are running a business? The obvious advantage is that it doesn't cost anything. But there is more. Imagine your consultant has supplied you with a traditional “closed source” solution. What happens if you experience bugs, or you need further customisation work done? You must go back to your original supplier. This will cost you money. What happens if your supplier goes out of business? You are on your own. Your solution is no longer supported, and you may not even be able to retrieve your important business data from it. Open source software mitigates these risks. If you have the source code then you are in control. A consultant supplying you with an open source solution must be able to supply you the source code too. Possessing the source code is like possessing the negatives to your wedding photos. You may not be a photographer yourself, but if you have the negatives, and need reprints, you can always find another, perhaps cheaper photographer to do it for you. Sure, open source may not suit everyone, but it certainly suits those of us who want to be in control of our IT investment. If this sounds like you, then Efurbishment is here to help.

Efurbishment is a consultancy. Efurbishment has the knowledge, experience and expertise to consult with you, make recommendations, and then assist you with implementing the software solutions your business needs. Efurbishment is different because its solutions are based on open source software. By reducing the cost of the software, Efurbishment gives you more value-added support and advice for your money. By supplying the source code, Efurbishment gives you control of your solution.