How can you outfit, or retrofit, your IT in a flagging and stumbling economic environment? How to build up your infrastructure and become even strionger when money’s tight?
Open Source, my friends, Open Source! GPL is your friend, you just need to know where to find it (and that’s one of the many reasons to hang out with the DownRiver Group).
Are you aware that one of the numerous ways to contact the DownRiver Group includes a “Skype” address?
For those that don’t know, Skype is the free VOIP(voice over internet protocol) service that allows you to use your computer as a telephone. With a mic & listening device(earpiece, speaker system ~not too loud~ or headphones) you can make and receive calls via the internet. And with an incredibly small fee you can make crystal-clear local and world-wide calls to any cellphone or landline!
Adding this free technology will not only drastically reduce your telephone expenses but if your business model requires you to represent yourself as technologically “with it”(and you really should, unless you’re making buggy whips or hand-dipping candles), this technology and advertising it’s use helps to make the fact clear.
Now Skype isn’t really an “Open Source” technology as the source code isn’t open for crowd souring of improvements, module design, etc. but this next tidbit IS…
How many are familiar with Open Source response to Microsoft’s MS Office, known as OpenOffice?
Database, Word Processing, Spreadsheet application & more ; free, openly coded and developed/supported in association with Sun Microsystems. We’re using it more and more here and we can tell you it’s well worth it at twice the price.
Now suppose you have a need for editing images, beyond the lightweight photo editor included in most Microsoft operating systems? Would you like something more powerful with lots of tools and tutorials, free of charge?
We thought so!
Enter The Gimp…
“GIMP is the GNU Image Manipulation Program. It is a freely distributed piece of software for such tasks as photo retouching, image composition and image authoring. It works on many operating systems, in many languages…” from the Gimp home site. What we can tell you, first hand, it that the gimp IS a powerful piece of software that adds tools to the box for image creating and altering.
Our guess is that many of you still author ad creatives for brochures, print ads, etc. in house, or you would if you had the tools, and this is an invaluable tool for bringing your game up a notch. Lots of tutorials here, too.
And it’s FREE!
So there are 3 free Internet Technology tools for you to add and use to enhance your business. Cut some expenses, add some tools, use them for more business ~sounds like a win-win-win to us.
We’ll have more like this soon, too, so remember where you read it!
Or contact us for other ways the DownRiver Group and can help build your web presence and your business, even in a tough economic environment.
Download The Gimp Here
Get Skype for Small Business Pack here
Get OpenOffice ~Free~
