Information technology plays a critical role in business success. Investment in technology can increase productivity. It can provide access to new markets-for example, via the Internet. So understanding information technology and how it can serve your business is important. You also need to understand the cost of the technology that your business relies on and how to make the best use of it. Today, one of your potential technology choices is free and open source software, or FOSS, which does not require license fees or maintenance charges and represents a serious and cost-effective alternative to commercial software. This book is designed to guide the small business entrepreneur into the world of free and open source software. We will show you how to use open source software and how it brings low-cost and first-class information technology within reach of all businesses, even the sma- est startups. The book explains how to install and configure open source software and how to tap into the global community that creates and supports FOSS. From providing a basic file server for the office to setting up a web server, building your own IT systems puts you in control of your business. Whether you want to manage your own systems or just understand them better so you know what your support professionals are doing, this book is for you.
