10.3 Moving forward with information systems  (Page 3/3)

• MySQL ( MySQL 2009 )
• Zoho Creator ( Zoho 2009 )

One of the prevailing issues with using open source software rather than software you purchase is the level of support you can expect from the software’s creator. If you pay for software, you have a right to expect excellent documentation and support. If the software is free, sometimes documentation and support do not meet the same standards. Much of the support you get is from the community of users. As of this writing, the worldwide community for ACCESS is much larger, and there are many books written about it. The open source databases are just as useful, but finding information and support can be a more tedious process. However, according to the Gartner Group, a highly-respected technology research company based in the US, open source database management software is becoming more attractive. In a report released in November 2008, they made the following observations:

“During 2008, since our last note about open-source database management systems (DBMSs), we have seen an increase in the interest and use of open-source DBMS engines in a production environment. As this trend continues to gain speed, the cost benefits of using an open-source DBMS is increasing and the risk of using it is decreasing.

Key Findings:

• Lower total cost of ownership (TCO), compared to commercial DBMSs, can be realized for non-mission-critical applications.
• There are large third-party software vendors looking to certify open-source DBMSs as a platform for existing applications, including SAP.
• The major open-source DBMS products are now available for installation as a package, without involving the source code, including tools to help support the DBMS environment.
• If the technical capabilities of the staff are strong, use of an open-source DBMS in mission-critical environments is possible now.

Recommendations:

• Open-source DBMS engines can be used today for non-mission-critical applications with reduced risk over several years ago.
• Only use an open-source DBMS engine supplied by a vendor who controls or participates in the engineering of the DBMS and always purchase subscription support when used in production environments.
• If open source is part of your overall IS strategy, plan for the use of open-source DBMS engines in mission-critical environments in two to five years.” ( Gartner 2008 )
• Acquiring software programs designed specifically to meet most needs of a small organization
• In the same way that Office Suites are available which can perform many of the basic information systems tasks of a small organization, there are suites of programs available to perform specific functions like accounting, payroll, customer relationship management, inventory control and the like. Recall that we discussed computer-based accounting systems in considerable detail in Chapter 9.
• (Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems are the analogous software solutions for large and medium-sized companies.) Examples of small business “suites” include the following:

Microsoft has a site devoted to software suite solutions for small businesses at (External Link)

NetSuite ( www.netsuite.com ) NetSuite is in a category of software called “software as a service (SaaS). In the SaaS model, the software resides on the servers of the software provider rather than on the using organization’s computer. The advantages of this model are that users never have to worry about software and data backups or software updates. These functions are provided at the software company’s data centers. Some SaaS models charge users by the month, others charge them at a variable rate, based on the number of transactions per month and/or the size of their databases. The downside for some users with SaaS is that the information is not kept “in-house.” Although hosted solutions are considered very secure, some users worry about security and privacy issues. The website, www.2020software.com compares several small business software suites, and has links to the companies’ sites.

There are a number of open source initiatives for small business software you may wish to investigate. One such example is xTuple ( (External Link) ). A comprehensive list of options is available at SourceForge ( www.sourceforge.net ). Our previous cautions on the use of open source software products apply here as well.

Creating a web presence

Having a web site is now considered as necessary as a phone or fax number even an email address for corresponding with customers. Since the site will be a reflection of your organization, its product or service, the most important step is to research and plan. For most business, a Web site can serve as a resource for information and to promote the organization, its brand, and the value of the product or services being offered. But many times, businesses as well as individuals create a site for the sake of having one, without taking time to understand what customers and the business expect from a site. When you set down to create your site, consider the following first;

• Decide on a budget.
• Decide on a name (Domain Name or URL). Check (External Link) to see if the name is already taken.
• Register the name (Domain Name or URL). Login to a registrar like (External Link) and follow their instructions for registration.
• Decide how the site will be designed and maintained (who will handle this)?
• What will be the content of the site?
• Decide on a hosting company for the site. There are hundreds, if not thousands of hosting companies will host your website for as little as $3.95US per month. A simple Google search will turn up many candidates for you in your locale. To get an appreciation of the kinds of hosting services that are available from US-based companies, go to (External Link) .
• Decide whether you will hire someone to build the site for you or if you want to use one of the many template-driven software packages to build it yourself.

Finding out what kinds of information your customers want, and then designing and developing your site to provide up-to-date, ongoing resource materials can help you better position your products or services and serve as a credible “go-to spot.” A web site can go from a simple one-page site with your name and mission statement to a site with multiple pages that include on-line sales, newsletters and discussion forums.