Open Source Business Cluster

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IT Companies join forces to market and deliver OSS Solutions

Australian IT Service Providers Digital Armour, PretaWeb and Syntonic have formed the Open Source Business Cluster to more effectively market Open Source technology to business and government organisations. The Cluster is the first of its kind in Australia.

The Initiative is supported by an establishment grant from the NSW Government (via the Department for State and Regional Development), which has embraced Open Source Software and Open Standards in recent years.

The federal government also supports Open Source development and innovation, through the National ICT Centre of Excellence - NICTA.

BENEFITS FOR BUSINESS AND GOVERNMENT

Governments from Germany to Mexico and China have embraced Open Source Software for its robustness, adherence to Open Standards and lower Total Cost of Ownership.

Major ICT vendors like Google, IBM, Oracle, Fujitsu, Sun, Ingres and Novell have also championed Open Source software as a platform for innovation and fruitful collaboration. As a result, the Open Source industry has grown dramatically.

And yet, the Waugh Partners Australian Open Source Industry & Community Report 2008 found that the reality of Open Source Software is far ahead of general perceptions.

Many of those surveyed simply underestimated the extent to which Open Source Software has been deployed by industry and governments around the globe.

A recent survey of 2006 US companies and government agencies by consulting firm Optaros found that 87% were using OSS solutions ranging from Apache web servers to MySQL and Linux. Vendor independence and flexibility were major reasons given by users, along with easier customisation and reduced costs.

ROBUST SOLUTIONS FROM A SINGLE SOURCE

These days competitive Open Source solutions are available for every area of ICT, from infrastructure to communications and critical business applications. From products like Apache web servers and Compiere ERP to Sugar CRM, Plone Content Management Systems and Asterisk VOIP-based PABX solutions, Open Source offers robust, class-leading solutions that many businesses and government departments count on.

THE OPEN SOURCE BUSINESS CLUSTER’S MISSION

To extend members’ competitive Open Source Solutions to customers nationally and globally
To provide solutions for complex project in industry and government by combining the complementary skills and resources of the cluster members
To make Open Source technologies easier to purchase by offering a broad range of solutions from a single business entity
To enable business and industry to evaluate Open Source as an alternative to propriety systems for ICT solutions
To promote the growth of the Open Source Industry in Australia

The founding members of the cluster, Digital Armour, PretaWeb and Syntonic, employ over 40 technical staff. They provide Open Source solutions for most business needs:

Website development, Content Management Systems, e-commerce
ERP, CRM, Business Intelligence
Networking, VPN, VOIP
Managed Services, email filtering, system security, site audits
Data Storage and backup

BUSINESS-GRADE SUPPORT

One of the misconceptions about Open Source Software is that it is mostly used by small businesses. As the graph on the right shows, medium and large businesses are just as likely to use Open Source software (Source: Australian Open Source Industry & Community Report 2008).

It follows that the founding members of the Cluster have long provided 24/7 support for many of their business and government clients. By joining forces, the Cluster’s support capacity gains greater operational flexibility and technical depth.

The Open Source Business Cluster expects to attract more partners who bring with them additional solutions, capabilities and complementary skills. This is just the beginning.

Our Mission

The Cluster was formed to present a unified portal for business and government organisations looking for open source solutions that can help them establish a competitive edge or facilitate expansion into new areas. Its primary objectives are:
o To extend members’ competitive Open Source Solutions to customers nationally and globally
o To provide solutions for complex project in industry and government by combining the complementary skills and resources of the cluster members
o To make Open Source technologies easier to purchase by offering a broad range of solutions from a single business entity
o To enable business and industry to evaluate Open Source as an alternative to propriety systems for ICT solutions
o To promote the growth of the Open Source Industry in Australia
The founding members of the cluster, Digital Armour, PretaWeb and Syntonic, employ over 40 technical staff. They provide Open Source solutions for most business needs:
o Website development, Content Management Systems, e-commerce
o ERP, CRM, Business Intelligence
o Networking, VPN, VOIP
o Managed Services, email filtering, system security, site audits
o Data Storage and backup
BUSINESS-GRADE SUPPORT
One of the misconceptions about Open Source Software is that it is mostly used by small businesses. As the graph on the right shows, medium and large businesses are just as likely to use Open Source software (Source: Australian Open Source Industry & Community Report 2008).
It follows that the founding members of the Cluster have long provided 24/7 support for many of their business and government clients. By joining forces, the Cluster’s support capacity gains greater operational flexibility and technical depth.
The Open Source Business Cluster expects to attract more partners who bring with them additional solutions, capabilities and complementary skills. This is just the beginning.