Open Source Software is one of the great internet achievements - allowing websites to be built using powerful and complex software at zero cost.

What is open source?

Open source refers to software products that are freely available and offered by development communities online. They come with no warranty but are usually very well tested by development groups of programmers - people like ourselves.

Doesn't free mean bad?

Free and open source are not the same thing - free software can be commercial and locked down, open source software can have paid-for licenses. Without digressing too much, open source software with a large user base and mature status is as effective as paid for rivals. we do not have to press the point, the millions of commercial websites using and being run by Open Source software says that. If it was 'bad' then companies simply wouldn't use it.

What sorts of software are out there?

Open Source software comes in all different kinds - operating systems, applications, code - even mobile phone software. For our work the main interest is in packages which either run on a server (such as Apache or FFMPEG) or which provide the basis for a website (such as the products listed here).

Why do we need you if it is free?

The software is free to download and install. No support is given and no out-of-functionality customisation is possible, so that is where an experienced OS developer comes in like ourselves. "Out of the box" these products are usually very bare and basic. They need configuring to meet your business needs.

You need the skills of a programmer and designer to install, customise, integrate and set up OS software to meet your requirements. Additionally you need us because he has experience of using these products and OS software in general - we know what can be done and can't be done.