Open Source software is community developed. Meaning a large team of developers donate their time toward continued development and testing of a particular software package. Usually, open source software is released under a GNU or GPL (General Public License), which ensures that the software will remain free even though it may be customized or adapted for other purposes, it will always remain free to distribute and use. The major benefits beyond simply being free, is that the scale of the projects and rate of development. Open Source projects tend to be more updated and secure then their commercial counter parts. The down side to open source solutions is usually the support and training. Although the community of users and developers is vast, the majority of the work done without warranty and support for the software is in short supply.
This is where the Edmond Technology Cooperative steps in to offer a helping hand. We can introduce you to the software solutions for your business communications and offer you education and training. You can lower your costs as well as increase your effectiveness while taking advantage of the latest and greatest in web technology. It really is a win / win solution. There are a few cases where open source tools won’t be a good solution for unique circumstances, but those are rare occasions.
WordPress is possibly the largest and most active open source community of development that I have ever worked with. Besides a web site management and blogging system it has an extensive library of plugins that enhance every aspect of it’s operation. If there is a website function out there, then there is a WordPress Plugin that will help you accomplish it on your site. You can learn more about WordPress at http://wordpress.org.