Birmingham-based Open Advantage is to stage an 'open source showcase' next week - highlighting the significant number of local firms and organisations now using the free software.
The showcase, which takes place on Wednesday, June 20, at the National Training Institute, Bartholmew Row, Birmingham, is a free event.
Delegates will hear the rationale and real-life experiences from a number of local businesses, a charity and organisations who have identified open source as a key enabler of improving productivity and communications with web technologies and collaboration tools: rapid website content management; wikis; blogs; forums; virtual learning; internet telephony; Linux on the desktop, plus more.
Scott Thompson, director of Open Advantage, said: "We want as many people as possible to benefit from being involved with open source and, from understanding the real-life experiences of local firms who can deliver ICT solutions to all firms that provide ease of use, adaptable and affordable ICT - has to be celebrated.
"We decided by holding a showcase anyone with an interest in finding out more will be inspired and can only realise the advantages and how to improve their business performance."
Peter King of SiteDesign in Oldbury, one of the presenters at the showcase, added: "As a website design company we became interested in open source software a while ago.
"Open Advantage demonstrated ways of using various open source systems within our company and this has been implemented for over 12 months.
"The benefits have been time saving, zero down time on our network, huge cost savings and productivity improvements.
"Since we have seen the benefits this offers businesses, we have also been providing the same infrastructure to our clients, which has created excellent customer satisfaction and improved our profitability. We see open source systems not just as a license cost saving, but as a very stable business model."
