Blog Archive

PrEdIcTiOnS FoR OpEn sOuRcE In 2011

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Predictions for the upcoming year are always plentiful in December, and this year is no exception. On PCWorld, for example, we've seen security predictions, enterprise resoure software (ERP) predictions, and general IT forecasts for 2011.

What I haven't seen so far, however, are predictions for Linux and other open-source software. Lest that category of technology go "unpredicted," allow me to venture these thoughts.

1. Android, Android, Android

This feels like a no-brainer at this point, but Android is clearly going to continue on its upward path throughout 2011. Holding nearly a quarter of the smartphone market in October, it's widely expected to become the number-one mobile operating platform in the world in the next few years; I predict that will happen sooner rather than later, possibly even by the end of next year.

iPhones, meanwhile, will increasingly be a niche choice among a relatively small set of Apple fanatics, much the way Macs are, while Windows Phone 7 will be declared a flop.

2. Again, on Tablets

Android is going to give Apple a serious run for its money in the tablet arena as well, mirroring to a slightly less dramatic extent its rapid ascendancy on smartphones. I've lost count of just how many Android tablets are expected in the coming months, but there's no way the solitary iPad can continue to dominate in the face of such diverse choice.

3. Ubuntu and Linux

Ubuntu is going to continue the strides it made this year and finally give Linux some of the brand recognition it needs on the desktop and maybe some mobile devices as well, making it a serious contender in the mainstream, even among non-technical consumers.

In particular, the combination of the new Unity interface and the Wayland graphics systempromise to make upcoming Ubuntu versions what may be considered the first true "Linux for the masses." Canonical's research and development in such areas as context-aware computing, meanwhile, could push it ahead even further, and its debut on the tablet will give it a whole new arena to compete in.

In short, I predict big things for Ubuntu next year, even as Linux continues strong on servers and as Windows continues to fade in a cloud of malware.

4. Dual-Booting

Along with these relatively new contenders in the operating system arena and the increasingly blurred lines that separate form factors, I think we're going to see an increasing number of devices sold with two operating systems. More often than not, at least one of those will be based on Linux.

One of the first things people did to Google's Chrome-based CR-48, for example, was to install Ubuntu on it, and we've already seen tablets from the likes of Acer and Augen offering the dual-boot option too.

Choice is always a good thing, and I believe manufacturers will increasingly recognize that in their operating system decisions.

5. More Open Drivers

This year saw the announcement of Broadcom's new open source wireless driver, and it also saw the debut of an open source driver for AMD's Ontario Fusion chip. As Linux becomes increasingly mainstream, this is a trend that will continue. No manufacturer wants to exclude an increasingly significant market.

6. ARM

With mobile devices expected to outpace PCs in the next 18 months, the low-power, open source-friendly ARM architecture will continue to shine. Microsoft and Intel may both now be trying to catch up in this arena, but such efforts promise to be too little, too late.

I predict that ARM chips will become commonplace in PCs and even servers as well, particularly given the growing popularity of Ubuntu and other Linux distributions, which don't require the expensive horsepower that Windows does.

7. Oracle and OpenOffice.org

Oracle had a very bad year in 2010 when it comes to open source, making it clear that it has no desire to play any role that doesn't involve significant profit. In addition to suing Google over Java, the company has pulled the plug on OpenSolaris, caused the launch of numerous forks, precipitated the Apache Software Foundation's resignation from the Java SE/EE Executive Committee, and targeted the Hudson project with more ownership claims.

OpenOffice.org, of course, is one of the projects that has now been forked, and I'm betting that the result--LibreOffice--is going to take over in the open source productivity software world. Many Linux distributions have already pledged to include it instead of OpenOffice, and the Document Foundation has exciting plans.

Oracle, meanwhile, will stick to lawsuits and price increases.

Will my predictions hold true? Time will tell. Meanwhile, what do you expect to see happen in the world of open source next year?



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This list of open source software applications covers the gamut – and then some. After all, 'tis the season to overindulge, and in honor of the occasion we've put together a list with more open source software than anyone can digest in one sitting. Gulp.

We've updated last year's Monster List of Open Source Downloads – getting rid of the projects that are no longer active and adding the projects that were featured on Datamation for the first time this year. The result is a sprawling list of 115 noteworthy tools from the open source community.

Of course, with any list this long, some of the apps are more mature than others. And it's even possible that we may have overlooked some great open source apps. Feel free to add your suggestions for next year's open source monster list in the comments section below.



Open Source Software: Accounting

1. Edoceo Imperium

This Web-based app combines basic CRM features with accounting capabilities. While it can be accessed from any browser, you'll need a Linux server running Apache, PHP, Zend, and PostgreSQL to host the software. Operating System: Windows, OS Independent.

2. FriFinans

Aimed at small to medium-sized organizations, FriFinaans offers a cross-platform, multi-user client-server based accounting system. It tracks accounts, debtors, creditors, products, and more. Operating System: OS Independent

3. FrontAccounting

If your business is large enough to have multiple users who need access to your accounting system, FrontAccounting offers a Web-based app that also adds some ERP features. The interface is basic but easy to use, and the site includes an extensive wiki with lots of support. Operating System: OS Independent.

4. GnuCash

If you run a very small or home-based business and you've been using Quicken to track your accounts, GnuCash can give you some of the additional business features you need, like tracking customers, vendors, invoices, accounts payable and accounts receivable. And it's compatible with Quicken and OFX formats, so you can transfer you existing data. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X.

5. Lazy8Ledger

If you've been doing your accounting old-school, that is, keeping track of your books with a paper and pencil or a simple spreadsheet, Lazy8Ledger gives you a step up. The interface looks just like a paper-based system, so you won't have to spend any time learning something new. It's also available in a Web-based version that can be used by multiple users. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X.

6. osFinancials

Designed to be simple, osFinancials can be used by anyone. The basic software is free, but plug-ins and support are available for a fee. Note: because it is developed by a team in the Netherlands, a lot of the osFinancials Web site and documentation is in Dutch, but English is also available. Operating System: Windows

7. Phreebooks

This Web-based accounting and ERP package for small businesses compares favorably with Sage and QuickBooks. It's available on an SaaS basis from Phreebooks hosting partner UniMatrix. Operating System: OS Independent.

8. TurboCASH

This bookkeeping app boasts more than 80,000 users and invites users to compare its extensive feature list to QuickBooks and Sage. Although its owners are based in the UK, it's available in a US edition and has been localized for many other countries and languages as well. Operating System: Windows.

Open Source Software: Appliances

9. Turnkey Linux

First launched in 2008, Turnkey provides pre-configured virtual appliances based on open sourceapplications. One of their most recent offering is a backup and migration appliance, and they also offer LAMP stack, Drupal, Joomla, WordPress, File server, Ruby on Rails, and dozens of other appliances. Operating System: Linux.

Open Source Software: Address Book

10. Rubrica

Written using GNOME and GTK+, Rubrica stores contact information as XML data. It can import/export from a variety of formats, including GnomeCard, KAddressbook, Evolution, and csv file format. Operating System: Linux/Unix.

Open Source Software: Anti-Spam

11. ASSP

Stop spam at your SMTP server with ASSP, the "Anti-Spam SMTP Proxy." It uses whitelists and Bayesian filtering and supports a wide variety of servers, including Exchange, Lotus Notes, and many others. Note that this is software, not an appliance like Barracuda, and it only stops spam, not malware. Operating System: OS Independent.

12. SpamAssassin

The highly acclaimed "#1 open-source spam filter," SpamAssassin, uses a number of different features to identify spam, including header tests, body phrase tests, Bayesian filtering, blacklists and whitelists, and others. It can be used on its own, but it's also been incorporated into a number of other commercial and open-source applications. Operating System: OS Independent.

13. Spamato

Available as an Outlook add-on, as a Thunderbird extension, or as a stand-alone proxy, Spamato uses multiple filters to separate junk mail from the stuff you actually want to receive. Unlike some anti-spam tools, it also lets you see why a message gets classified as spam and adjust your settings as necessary. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X.

Open Source Software: Anti-Spyware

14. Nixory

Nixory works along with your existing firewall and anti-virus software to eliminate data-mining and spyware threats. While Spy Sweeper works with all browsers, Nixory is specifically designed for Firefox users. Operating System: OS Independent.

15. xpy

For Windows XP only (hence the name) this 60KB program improves the privacy, security, and performance of the OS. It disables the Windows "calling home" features, tweaks the settings on Internet Explorer and Windows Media Player, removes Windows Messenger, and more. Operating System: Windows.

Open Source Software: Anti-Virus/Anti-Malware

16. ClamAV

One of the best-known open source security software, ClamAv's anti-virus capabilities have earned it a stellar reputation. The version available at this site works on Linux/UNIX and is most suitable for larger organizations. Operating System: Linux.

17. ClamAV for Windows

Recently released, the official ClamAV for Windows is a partnership between SourceFire (the owner of ClamAV) and cloud-based security provider Immunet. Because it runs in the cloud, this anti-virus software doesn't drain system resources, and it's able to use community-based protection to improve security. And while both Panda Cloud Antivirus and ClamAV for Windows are free, only ClamAV has source code available. Operating System: Windows.

18. ClamTK

Like ClamAV for Windows, ClamTK provides a front end for the ClamAV engine, this time for the Linux OS. It allows you to schedule system scans, but it does not provide real-time scanning for incoming files. Operating System: Linux.

19. ClamWin

Suitable for home users, this front-end for the ClamAV antivirus offers good protection from viruses and integrates into Windows Explorer and Microsoft Outlook. Unlike the commercial products, however, ClamWin doesn't automatically scan files in real time as you download them—you'll have to schedule a scan of your system or manually click on a file to scan it individually. Operating System: Windows.

20. Moon Secure

This app also uses the Clam AV engine (though developers claim to be working on one of their own), but offers a different interface and some different features. Operating System: Windows.

21. P3Scan

This e-mail proxy server scans both incoming and outgoing messages for viruses, worms, trojans, spam, and other malware. Like most open-source anti-virus tools, it's based in part on the ClamAV engine. Operating System: Linux.

22. Rootkit Hunter

This no-frills tool scans for rootkits and other malware on Linux system. While it does not provide live or scheduled scanning, the Web site explains how to set up your system to scan daily. Operating System: Linux, Unix.

23. Viralator Still getting the occasional network virus even after you install anti-virus software? Viralator supplements the existing anti-virus software on your proxy server to block malware that might otherwise slip in when users access free webmail accounts. Operating System: Linux, Unix.

Open Source Software: Application Firewall

24. AppArmor

Part of openSUSE and SUSE Linux Enterprise, Novell's application firewall uses policy-based profiles to control who can access various applications. This is not an appliance like the Barricuda product, but it does perform many of the same functions. Operating System: Linux.

25. ModSecurity

ModSecurity provides a wide range of protection for Web applications. You can also purchase an appliance from Breach Security. Operating System: OS Independent.

26. SELinux

Developed by the NSA, Security Enhanced Linux adds mandatory access control features to the Linux OS. It enforces complete separation of information to make it more difficult to bypass application security mechanisms. Operating System: Linux, Unix.

Open Source Software: Astronomy

27. Celestia

If you're tired of staring at your cubicle walls, why not take a break and fly around the galaxy for a while. Celestia lets you see the skies at any time from any point in the known universe, using real images wherever possible. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X.

28. KStars

Developed by the KDE Education Project, KStars is a planetarium program that's very similar to Stellarium (see below). Unique features include an altitude vs. time tool, what's up tonight tool, and an AAVSO Lightcurve Generator. Operating System: Linux.

29. Space Trajectory Analysis

This app lets researchers analyze, simulate, and visualize the paths of objects that have been launched into space. It's currently being used by the European Space Agency and a number of international universities. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X.

30. Stellarium

If you're thinking of taking up astronomy as a hobby but don't want to buy a telescope or stay up late, try Stellarium. It offers a view of the night skies from any point on earth, and it's so accurate, it's even used by many planetariums. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X.

Open Source Software: Audio Tools

31. Amarok

Amarok plays music, creates playlists, displays lyrics and cover art, and integrates with a number of Web services for listening to or purchasing tracks. The interface has improved with time, and the latest version offers some great new features like the automatic playlist generator. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X.

32. Aqualung

Originally designed for Linux, this multi-platform tool plays audio CDs, internet radio streams, podcasts, and "soundfiles in just about any audio format." At the top of its long list of features is the ability to play multiple tracks without gaps in between—a real plus for concert recordings or other albums designed to flow seamlessly from one song to the next.. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X.

33. aTunes

Java-based aTunes plays and manages your music, much like its obvious namesake. The interface isn't as pretty as some of the other music players, but its easy to use and provides contextual info for the artists, like cover art, YouTube videos, etc. Operating System: OS Independent.

34. Audacity

Audacity does not offer the quality of features that professionals would need, but it can handle just about any audio recording and editing task most home users and garage bands need. Features include pitch change, tempo change, noise removal, and a number of special effects. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X.

35. AC3Filter

This audio decoder and processor filter allows media players to play AC3 and DTS audio tracks from movies. It also allows you to mix audio tracks and adjust sound quality. Operating System: Windows.

36. BonkEnc

This tool rips CDs and converts audio files to MP3, MP4/M4A, WMA, Ogg Vorbis, FLAC, AAC, WAV and Bonk formats. It's also optimized for multi-core systems for fast performance. Operating System: Windows

37. CDex

Tremendously popular, CDex has been downloaded more than 38 million times. In addition to creating WAV files, it also supports Lame MP3 encoder, APE lossles audio format, Ogg Vorbis encoder, Windows WMA8 encoder, and many others. Operating System: Windows

38. Cdrtools

If you're comfortable working from the command line, this set of tools will let you record audio, burn CDs/DVDs, and perform a variety of other tasks. It also now supports Blu-Ray. Operating System: Linux.

39. CoolPlayer This audio-only player boasts a small file size and "blazing fast" speed when you just want to play audio tracks. Other features include an 8-band equalizer, MP3 to WAV conversion, playlist editor and support for streaming content. Operating System: Windows.

40. DrumTrack

Want to add a drum track to your composition, but don't own drums? This app lets you take real rhythm samples and arrange them as you see fit. Operating System: Windows.

41. EasyTAG

EasyTAG allows users to view and edit the tag fields on MP3, MP2, MP4/AAC, FLAC, Ogg Vorbis, MusePack, Monkey's Audio, and WavPack files. It includes a tree-based browser and CDDB support for manual and automatic searches. Operating System: Windows, Linux.

42. Frinika

Like Audacity, Java-based Frinika offers music recording and editing features suitable for amateur musicians. It also lets you create music right from your PC, using your keyboard to add synthesizer and drum beat tracks. Operating System: OS Independent.

43. Hydrogen Replaces: DrumCore

For Linux and Mac users, Hydrogen offers similar functionality as DrumTrack. Its feature set is also more robust than DrumTrack's, making it suitable for professionals. Operating System: Linux, OS X.

44. Jajuk

Designed for people with large and/or scattered music collections, Jajuk aims to make organizing your music easier. It looks and feels similar to aTunes, and it's been called "the most powerful jukebox out there." Operating System: OS Independent

45. Jukes This twelve-year-old app was recently rewritten to be cross-platform and renamed (from "Put up your Jukes"). It's highly customizable with great management features. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X.

46. Juice

Juice makes it easy to capture and listen to podcasts, any time, anywhere. It includes a directory of thousands of online podcasts, so it’s also easy to find the one you want. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X.

47. KMid

Turn your PC into a karaoke player with this KDE app. It also plays Midi files and includes features like pitch control, a visual metronome and a piano player window. Operating System: Windows.

48. LAME

Although LAME stands for "Lame Ain’t No MP3 Encoder," the first line on its Web site states, "LAME is an MPEG Audio Layer III (MP3) encoder." It was intended as an educational tool for those interested in improving the speed and quality of MP3 files. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X.

49. Linux MultiMedia Studio

This app lets you create your own melody, drum track, bass line, and import samples, then mix them all together. Note that although it says "Linux" in the name, it is also available for Windows. Operating System: Windows, Linux

50. Mixere

While not as advanced as the professional tools above, Mixere lets you mix sound during a live performance with an easy-to-understand spreadsheet-like interface. Key features include dynamic looping, auto-triggering of audio, fully automated sliders, gradual muting, and crossfading. Operating System: Windows.

51. Mixxx

Much more robust than Mixere, Mixxx offers a real alternative to the commercial tools. Even if you're new to DJing, Mixx makes it easy to beatmatch songs, add effects, and scratch. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X.

52. MOC

Simply select a directory, and the MOC (Music On Console) audio player will play all files in that directory. Supported file formats include MP3, Ogg Vorbis, FLAC, Musepack, Speex, WAVE, AIFF, and AU. Operating System: Linux/Unix, OS X.

53. Moosic

While most of the other apps in this category have fairly nice GUIs, Moosic is sort of an iTunes for command-line junkies. If you want to organize and play your music by typing in shell commands, this is the option for you. Operating System: Linux/Unix.

54. MP3Gain

Tired of constantly adjusting the volume when playing MP3s? MP3Gain uses statistical analysis to gauge how loud songs sound in the human ear, and then modifies the volume appropriately without degrading the quality of playback. Operating System: OS Independent.

55. Mp3splt

Mp3splt is an audio utility that does just one thing—it lets you cut mp3 and ogg files into smaller files and rename them. It’s especially useful if you need to split an entire album into individual tracks. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X.

56. Pandora Radio Desktop App

You don't have to upgrade to Pandora One in order to get a desktop app to listen to the free Pandora service. This lightweight app minimizes to your system tray and removes banner ads. Operating System: Windows.

57. pulpTunes

Want to access your home iTunes library while you’re at work? Install pulpTunes and you can access your music from any Web-connected computer. Operating System: OS Independent.

58. Radio Downloader

If your favorite online radio station only offers streaming content, you can turn it into a podcast you can listen to any time with Radio Downloader. It comes with built-in support for BBC content and a helpful "favourites" tab. Operating System: Windows.

59. Songbird

One of the best open source iTunes alternatives, Songbird offers an attractive interface, both audio and video playback, track and concert ticket purchase, and much more. It's also now available on many Android phones. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X, Android.

60. StreamRipper

StreamRipper allows you to record and save Shoutcast streams and other Internet audio. Its key feature is the ability to find silences and mark them as possible points of track separation. Operating System: Windows, Linux/Unix.

61. Zinf Like CoolPlayer, Zinf is a barebones music player. It plays most types of audio files, allows creation of playlists and displays album art. Operating System: Windows, Linux.


Open Source Software: Backup

62. Amanda

Used on more than half a million servers and desktops, Amanda is a tremendously popular client-server backup solution. It can write to tape and disk at the same time, and it supports both 4096-bit keys with public-key cryptography and 256-bit AES encryption. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X.


63. Areca Backup

Areca Backup offers compression, encryption, file version tracking, backup simulation, and many other features. In addition to typical incremental, differential, and full backup options, it also offers delta backup, which only stores the modified parts of files. Operating System: Windows, Linux.

64. Bacula

Designed for enterprise users, the Baculanetwork backup solution finds the middle ground between ease of use and advanced features. It can scale from a single system to a network of hundreds of thousands. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X

65. Partimage

This disk backup tool includes network support. It's also helpful for network administrators because it offers the ability to install identical software on a whole fleet of computers at once. Operating System: Linux.

66. Redo

Redo Backup and Recovery lets you re-boot from a CD or thumb drive, eliminating the need to re-install Windows if you get hit with malware. Key features include bare-metal restore, deleted file recovery, drive reset and an easy-to-use GUI. Operating System: Windows, Linux.

Open Source Software: Billing

67. jBilling

Used by a variety of ISPs, telecoms, ASPs, media and software companies, jBilling makes it easy to manage even the most complicated subscription systems. It's Web-based and completely scalable, so it can grow with your company. Operating System: OS Independent.

Open Source Software: Biology

68. ByoDyn Scientists building models of biochemical networks or pathways can use ByoDyn to estimate and analyze the parameters underlying these processes. In addition to the downloadable version, it can also be accessed online as a Web app. Operating System: Linux, OS X.

69. GenoCAD

Granted, this is something the average user will likely never download, but the Virginia Bioformatics Institute has made this gene sequencing software available through an open source license. It's helping make possible some cutting edge scientific research. Operating System: OS Independent.

Open Source Software: Blogging

70. LifeType

While it doesn't offer free hosting like some of the others on this list, LifeType does offer an excellent platform for creating your own blog or even an entire Web site. Key features include an easy-to-use WYSIWYG interface, integrated media management, a good template library, built-in anti-spam, and support for multiple authors. Operating System: OS Independent

71. MovableType MovableType bills itself as an "all-in-one social publishing platform" with Web site creation, content management and social networking features, in addition to its blog publishing features. It shares some code with TypePad. Operating System: OS Independent

72. Nucleus CMS

It bills itself as a Content Management System, but in reality Nucleus is primarily a tool for setting up a blog and hosting it on your own server. Features include a built-in commenting tool, URLs optimized for readers, and multi-lingual support. Operating System: OS Independent.

73. WordPress

One of the most popular blogging platforms, WordPress is currently the home of more than 25 million blogs. It also offers enough template options and special features that some people use it to host their entire sites. Operating System: OS Independent

Open Source Software: Browsers

74. Chromium

Chromium is the open source project behind Google's Chrome browser, and it's also the base for several other, less popular open source browsers. It's best known for being lightweight and fast. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X, ChromeOS

75. Firefox

According to the latest figures from NetApplications, about 23 percent of all people on the Web use the Firefox browser. Its key benefits over Internet Explorer are its speed, security and huge library of add-ons and themes. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X

76. K-Meleon

Very similar to Firefox, K-Meleon aims to let the user have absolute control over how the browser looks and feels. It also lets you choose whether to use a Favorites, Hotlist, and/or Bookmarks list, and it supports mouse gestures. Operating System: Windows

77. Tor Browser Bundle

If you're really paranoid about privacy or have other reasons for wanting to browse the Internet anonymously, the Tor Bundle will install with your existing browser for ultimate protection. When it's running, no one can tell what sites you are visiting, sites can't figure out your physical location, and you should be able to access sites that are blocked by governments or Web filtering software. You can also install it on a thumb drive for mobility. Operating System: Windows.

Open Source Software: Bugtrackers

78. Bugzilla

More than 1,000 groups use Bugzilla to track their software bugs, including Mozilla, Facebook, the Linux kernel and NASA. The Web-based system makes it easy to manage code changes, issue patches and stay in communication with other members of your development team. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X

79. GNATS

The GNU bug tracking system stores information about software defects in a central searchable database. It can be accessed via a variety of interfaces and can send communication to team members as needed. Operating System: OS Independent

Open Source Software: Business Rule Management System

80. JBoss Drools

A competitor to commercial software like Blaze Advisor and JRules, Drools describes itself as abusiness logic integration platform for rules, workflow and event processing. It includes five separate modules: Drools Guvnor (BRMS/BPMS), Drools Expert (rule engine), Drools Flow (process/workflow), Drools Fusion (event processing/temporal reasoning) and Drools Planner (automated planning). Operating System: OS Independent

Open Source Software: Bulletin Board

81. phpBB

The world’s most widely used open source forum creation software, phpBB, lets you set up an online community in just minutes. It includes the ability to send attachments, create unlimited sub-forums, add custom BBCodes, and many other features. Operating System: OS independent.

Open Source Software: Business Intelligence (BI)

82. JasperSoft

"The world's most widely used business intelligence software," Jaspersoft was named the fastest growing BI vendor by Gartner in 2009. Currently, more than 100 companies use its award-winning cloud-based service, Jaspersoft Live. Operating System: OS Independent.

83. JMagallanes

JMagallanes users can create static reports, pivot tables and charts from SQL, Excel, XML, and other file types. The interface isn't particularly polished, but it gets the job done. Operating System: OS Independent

84. Mondrian

From the makers of Pentaho, Mondrian is a Java-based OLAP engine. That means you can use it to analyze large SQL databases without knowing how to write SQL. Operating System: OS Independent.

85. OpenI

OpenI was specifically designed for on-demand and SaaS deployments. It helps users visualize datafrom OLAP and relational databases through reports and dashboards. Operating System: OS Independent.

86. OpenReports

Another Web-based reporting tool, OpenReports leverages many other open source projects to provide a very powerful and flexible reporting engine. The commercial version adds capabilities like dashboards and conditional scheduling. Operating System: OS Independent

87. Palo BI Suite

The "first open source, software as a service, business intelligence solution," Palo's SaaS edition can help companies reduce their hardware, maintenance and installation costs. It offers planning, analysis and reporting capabilities that are a step up from using a spreadsheet application. Operating System: OS Independent.

88. Pentaho

Pentaho's business intelligence suite includes reporting, analysis, dashboards, data integration and data mining modules. The on-demand version also includes "data services on–demand," a thin-client Agile BI data wizard. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X.

89. RapidMiner

"One of the most widely used data mining and predictive analysis solutions world-wide," RapidMiner includes more than 400 data mining operators that can be used independently or combined. The fee-based enterprise editions add other business intelligence capabilities, as well as support and warranties. Operating System: OS Independent.

Open Source Software: Business Process Management/Business Performance Management (BPM)

90. Adaptive Planning

An alternative to Excel-based processes, Adaptive Planning calls itself "the worldwide leader in on-demand budgeting, forecasting, and reporting solutions." In addition to the free open-source version, it offers paid corporate and enterprise editions that can be installed on-premise or accessed on demand. Operating System: Windows, Linux.

91. ProcessMaker

Used by well-known companies like Toyota, Lenovo and Honeywell, ProcessMaker aims to simplify and optimize workflows. The enterprise edition is available either on-site or in-the-cloud, with a free 30-day trial. Operating System: Windows, Linux.

92. uEngine

The uEngine BPM suite includes three separate components: BPM Foundation with a process engine and modeling tool; the process portal with personalization, single sign-on, and dashboard capabilities; and the BP Analyzer with OLAP analyzing and charting abilities. It supports multiple languages, including English, but because it is developed by a Korean company, parts of the Web site and interface sound strange to native English speakers. Operating System: OS Independent.

Open Source Software: Business Suites

93. ADempiere ERP Business Suite

Compared to the other open-source ERP options, Adempiere is much more community-oriented. It also includes some POS and CRM functionality, and integrates well with a number of other business-focused open source applications. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X, others

94. allocPSA

This web-based suite includes a dashboard, bookkeeping, project management, time tracking, to do lists, CRM, calendar, and much more, all designed specifically to meet the needs of professional service organizations. The Web site includes a video that provides a helpful overview of the key features. Operating System: OS Independent

95. Compiere ERP + CRM Business Solution

Designed for multi-site, multi-national corporations, Compiere offers dashboards, reporting, customer history, and a variety of other tools designed to help users keep track of what's happening within their businesses. It can be deployed on-site on in the cloud through Amazon EC2. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X.

96. Dolibarr ERP/CRM

Designed for small to medium sized companies, freelancers or foundations, Dolibarr offers a modular approach to ERP and CRM that lets you install only the functions you need. It installs on your Web server and can be accessed from any browser. The Web site includes a number of screenshots and an online demo so that you can see how it works before you download. Operating System: OS Independent

97. GNU Enterprise

GNU Enterprise contains a host of developer and ERP tools, including human resources, accounting, CRM, project management, supply chain management, and e-commerce features. Its modular design and open architecture make it easy to customize and easy to maintain. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X.

98. JAllInOne ERP/CRM

Despite its name, JAllInOne is primarily an ERP solution with some basic CRM functions. It provides all the standard ERP functionality and supports multiple users, multiple languages, and multiple companies. Operating System: OS Independent.

99. JFire

Key features of this ERP/CRM/SCM suite include product management, sales and purchases, billing and accounting, customer relationship management, issue tracking and reporting. In addition to the link above, additional information can be found on the jFire community site. Operating System: OS Independent

100. Ohioedge

Ohioedge combines CRM and BPM features in a Java-based app. The site is light on documentation, but does include a helpful test drive that lets you see how the software can be used. Operating System: OS Independent.

101. opentaps

Used by Toyota, Honeywell, and others, Opentaps combines ecommerce, Customer Relationship Management, Warehouse and Inventory Management, Supply Chain Management, and Financial Management with Business Intelligence and mobility integration. Like several of the others in this category, it's also available in the cloud through Amazon. Operating System: Windows, Linux

102. Plazma ERP + CRM

While heavy on CRM features, Plazma does also offer some ERP functions. The interface is fairly bare-bones, but it gets the job done for small businesses. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X

103. TNT Concept

This app isn't designed to replace existing financial management applications; rather, it works alongside them and adds management and CRM functionality. It's available on an SaaS basis from Spanish company Autentia, which originally developed the software for its own internal use. Operating System: OS Independent.

Open Source Software: CAD

104. BRL-CAD

Originally developed by the military, BRL-CAD has been around for more than 20 years, so it's both stable and full-featured. Its modeling capabilities have been used to design and analyze vehicles, houses, mechanical parts, weapons systems and more. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X, others.

105. Archimedes

Aimed primarily at architects, Archimedes can create both 2D and 3D designs like AutoCAD. However, because it's still in the earlier stages of development, its features aren't quite as robust as AutoCAD. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X

Open Source Software: Chemistry

106. Jmol

This java-based app lets students create diagrams of atoms, molecules, macromolecules, crystals, and more. The site includes a handbook and tutorials for helping you learn how to use the software. Operating System: OS Independent.

107. Kalzium

Kalzium offers a free guide to the periodic table, including chemical data, energy information, diagrams, and a glossary. It also includes a helpful equation solver and calculator. (Note that in order to use Kalzium on Windows, you'll have to download KDE for Windows.)Operating System: Windows, Linux.

108. ProtoMol

ProtoMol is a framework for molecular dynamics simulation. It's designed to be highly flexible, easily extensible, and to meet high performance demands. Operating System: Linux, Unix, Windows.

Open Source Software: Classroom Management

109. iTALC

Intelligent Teaching and Learning with Computers, aka iTALC, gives teachers the tools they need to manage a computer-based classroom without the high license fees of commercial software. Key features include remote control, demo viewing, overview mode, workstation locking and VPN access for off-site students. Operating System: Windows, Linux.

110. Mando

Mando lets you create an interactive whiteboard. If you have your computer connected to a camera and a projector, you can use your laser pointer to control the computer in front of the class, just as you would use a mouse at your desk. Operating System: Linux.

Open Source Software: Cloud Infrastructure

111. OpenStack

Backed by Nasa, Rackspace and many other notable technology companies, OpenStack is building two separate cloud technologies: Compute, which provides the technology necessary to set up a cloud environment, and Object Storage for cloud-based storage. The goal is to develop standards that will promote interoperability among cloud offerings. Operating System: N/A

112. Cloud.com CloudStack

CloudStack makes it possible for enterprises and service providers to build and manage their own clouds. While the community version is completely open source, the enterprise and service provider editions use some proprietary code. Operating System: Linux

113. OpenNebula

OpenNebula bills itself as "the open source toolkit for open source computing." It is enterprise-class IaaS software that can handle hundreds of thousands of virtual machines. Operating System: Linux.

114. Eucalyptus

Eucalyptus software implements scalable IaaS-style private and hybrid clouds. Community members can also access the Eucalyptus Community Cloud where they can test the software in the cloud. Operating System: Linux.

115. AppScale

Sponsored by UC Santa Barbara, this open-source version of Google App Engine provides a PaaS cloud infrastructure for development and testing purposes. It also supports Amazon EC2 and Eucalyptus. Operating System: Linux.

New World Of Technology

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Open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials. Some consider open source a philosophy, others consider it a pragmatic methodology. Before the term open source became widely adopted, developers and producers used a variety of phrases to describe the concept; open source gained hold with the rise of the Internet, and the attendant need for massive retooling of the computing source code. Opening the source code enabled a self-enhancing diversity of production models, communication paths, and interactive communities. Subsequently, the new phrase "open-source software" was born to describe the environment that the new copyright, licensing,domain, and consumer issues created.

The open source model includes the concept of concurrent yet different agendas and differing approaches in production, in contrast with more centralized models of development such as those typically used in commercial software companies. A main principle and practice of open source software development is peer production by bartering and collaboration, with the end-product, source-material, "blueprints", and documentation available at no cost to the public. This is increasingly being applied in other fields of endeavor, such as biotechnology.



Applications

Many fields of study and social and political views have been affected by the growth of the concept of open source. Advocates in one field often support the expansion of open source in other fields. For example, Linus Torvalds said, "the future is open source everything." But Eric Raymond and other founders of the open source movement have sometimes publicly argued against speculation about applications outside software, saying that strong arguments for software openness should not be weakened by overreaching into areas where the story is less compelling. The broader impacts of the open source movement, and the extent of its role in the development of new information sharing procedures, remain to be seen.

The open source movement has inspired increased transparency and liberty in other fields, including the release of biotechnology research by CAMBIA, Wikipedia,and other projects. The open-source concept has also been applied to media other than computer programs, e.g., by Creative Commons. It also constitutes an example of user innovation (see for example the book Democratizing Innovation). Often, open source is an expression where it simply means that a system is available to all who wish to work on it. The difference between crowdsourcing and open source is that open source production is a cooperative activity initiated and voluntarily undertaken by members of the public


Computer software

Open source software is software whose source code is published and made available to the public, enabling anyone to copy, modify and redistribute the source code without paying royalties or fees. Open source code evolves through community cooperation. These communities are composed of individual programmers as well as very large companies. Examples of open-source software products are:

Programming language

  • PHP - Scripting language suited for the web

OS

Server

Client software

And many, many more


Computer hardware

Open source hardware is hardware whose initial specification, usually in a software format, are published and made available to the public, enabling anyone to copy, modify and redistribute the hardware and source code without paying royalties or fees. Open source hardware evolves through community cooperation. These communities are composed of individual hardware/software developers, hobbyists, as well as very large companies. Examples of open source hardware initiatives are:

  • Openmoko: a family of open source mobile phones, including the hardware specification and the operating system.
  • OpenRISC: an open source microprocessor family, with architecture specification licensed under GNU GPL and implementation under LGPL.
  • Sun Microsystems's OpenSPARC T1 Multicore processor. Sun has released it under GPL.
  • Arduino, a microcontroller platform for hobbyists, artists and designers.
  • Simputer, an open hardware handheld computer, designed in India for use in environments where computing devices such as personal computers are deemed inappropriate.
  • LEON: A family of open source microprocessors distributed in a library with peripheral IP cores, open SPARC V8 specification, implementation available under GNU GPL.


;~VIA WIKIPEDIA