Hey there,
No one really thought that open source systems would be so popular as they are today. After all, why would people work so hard and write thousand of page of programs and then give it away for free? Well, actually, open source systems are developed in collaboration with general people like you and me. We contribute by developing sections or one of many modules of a particular system. It came into being to provide an alternative to the costly and bug ridden applications that commercial companies generally sell (did i hear someone say microsoft..ahem!!). The best part about open source system is that they keep on evolving and getting better as more and more people starts contributing to it.
For those of you who don’t know what is an open source system, here’s the explanation in short. Open source programs are those whose codes are openly available for general public, they can also modify/rework the codes and use them freely without paying anything for it.
A lot of popular systems are based on open source codes, like wordpress for example is a community developed application. Today, the term open source is not just limited to software, it is also being implemented in drug/medicine development, fashion industry, alternative fuel development etc. Open source OS like Ubuntu is quite popular, open source applications like GIMP(photoshop alternative), Free Office & Open Office (MS-Office Alternative), FreeCad(Autocad alternative) are also available.
Many companies offer their base product for free which you can download and install on your server, however if you do not have any technical knowledge at all and want to customize the product, then they may charge you accordingly. If you know a bit about programming, then you can modify it as per your own needs for free. Many people also donate some amount as a good will gesture to keep the open source culture alive.
I’m listing below some systems that have been tested and implemented by me that you can use for your own or your company’s needs. These are based on PHP and MYSQL and need a LAMP or WAMP environment to function.
- Subrion CMS – A very good and stable system to develop attractive websites easily even if you do not have any programming knowledge. Their admin console is full of easy to use tools. The best thing is that you do not need any programming knowledge to manage your website, its all done through a GUI based admin console, a click here and a click there and its done.
- Orange HRM – A very comprehensive and customizable web based human resouce management tool. It has all the tools that you may need in your HR dept like leave management, employee database, payroll generation, punch-in / punch-out etc.
- Clip-Bucket – If you wish to have a video sharing website like youtube for your company or yourself then clip bucket is the best choice. Easy to setup and customize.
- HESK – If you need a simple queue based ticketing system for your company’s IT dept or for customer service dept, then you can go for HESK.
There are many more systems available for different functions/dept’s in a company.
If you need any help with these or any other system I will be glad to help you out. I’m also willing to help you identify your company’s need and suggest and implement these systems accordingly.
That’s it for today. Have to think about my next post now….
Love,
Rosh.
Intuiapt 
Hi Roshan, very informative blog keep it up.
Would require Ur help to develop some website.
Thanks,
Tausif Thakur
Hey Tausif,
Sure, lemme know when u need my help.