Thinking outside the box : software licensing and alternative software solutions :an honors thesis (HONRS 499)

Abstract

Small businesses spend a large amount of money on software and software upgrades every year. If they implemented a free software program, it would save them money. The beliefs of the Free Software Movement support the goals of small businesses, and the nature of free software allows the businesses to modify software to fit their needs. This paper identifies the cost savings associated with implementing a free software solution, relates the history of the free software movement, describes the type of free software available, and provides a brief tutorial on OpenOffice and GIMP, two commonly used free software programs.