Free and open source software (part 2)

An alternative for the voluntary and community sector

Feargal O’Kane, web developer at NICVA, explains why using free access alternative software may be beneficial to many voluntary organisations. Part 1, published in issue 62, detailed local voluntary sector experiments to date. In this second and final part, he elaborates on further possibilities and argues that considering the options will become increasingly important in the strategic development of IT in the sector.

The ICT Hub in the UK is currently piloting the use of Free Open Access Software (FOSS) on the desktop among ten voluntary and community sector organisations in the East of England. The ICT Hub uninstalled Windows and used the Ubuntu Linux operating system. A range of suitable FOSS programmes were included as part of the installation:

	Open Office to replace Microsoft Office;
	Evolution to replace Outlook;
	Firefox instead of Internet Explorer;
	Scribus for desktop publishing;
	Project Planner for basic project management;
	GnuCash for simple finance tasks.

The Change Up funded project is clear that FOSS use by the voluntary and community sector, 'can be a viable and extremely cost effective alternative to proprietary software. It could also eventually result in software solutions much better adapted to VCS use than present proprietary “off the shelf” solutions that are often aimed primarily at users in the business sector.' 1

However, this project is equally clear that there needs to be a clear strategy to push FOSS, especially targetted at decision makers rather than users. For FOSS on the desktop to succeed in the sector it is clear that work needs to be done around:

	concerns about long term technical support;
	convincing management of the need to switch to FOSS;
	rolling out a programme of cost effective FOSS solutions to key needs of the sector that involve little disruption of existing work practices, for example, use of Open Office, Firefox, Thunderbird across an existing Windows system. However, 'by proving the viability, stability, security and cost effectiveness of even a relatively small initial number of FOSS solutions the conditions can be created for convincing management to seriously think about moving more widely to FOSS when it comes to times for considering major new ICT investments.' 2

Is FOSS always the best solution?

FOSS will not always provide a better solution than closed software. For example, FOSS may be the right solution but with a cost in training that a small organisation cannot bear. It may not be worthwhile for a small voluntary organisation with three employees using MS Office for the last ten years to switch to OpenOffice. Productivity may decrease, mistakes might increase, and the ability of the voluntary organisation to sustain itself might be undermined.

However, FOSS can make a massive difference to many organisations. It can reduce costs, increase productivity, and enable people to accomplish ICT tasks in completely new ways. Instead of struggling with a basic email client FOSS can give you enterprise software that is just as simple but more functional. Instead of having trouble with viruses, FOSS can provide you with desktops that do not die. FOSS can give professional graphic, audio and video editing tools.

However, it is not the software, or who builds it, it is whether you can do what you need to do, reliably and securely, without the system falling over and crashing, so you can help the people you need to help. The experiences of the ICT Hub in the UK, NICVA and other ICTconsortiumNI members in Northern Ireland and the hundreds of thousands of FOSS users worldwide reinforces that FOSS can provide an effective solution in a range of circumstances.

The big test for FOSS will come over the next year as organisations are staring at a new upgrade cycle instigated by the release of Windows Vista in November 2006. This new operating system from Windows will again require more powerful machines to accomplish relatively basic tasks. FOSS provides an opportunity for voluntary and com-munity organisations to save money, ensure they have control over their data and re-use older machines while retaining productivity.

While FOSS may not always be the best solution for your needs, it has reached the stage where it certainly must be considered before deciding on your next move. If you wish to try FOSS in your organisation you can contact Paul Gormley at NICVA for a free copy of Ubuntu Linux.

1. Results of Ubuntu Linux on the desktop in the VCS, October 2006 (http://foss.ciac.org.uk/articel43.html)

2. Results of Ubuntu Linux desktop tests in the VCS, October 2006 (http://foss.ciac.org.uk/article43.html)