Lance Ulanoff's "What's New Now" cited a very interesting article by Eric Griffith in PC Magazine titled The Best Free Software. Eric compiled a Hall of Fame list of suitable software that won't send your budget into another galaxy. Layoff non-essential and over priced software, not people.
157 software tools. No fees. No expiration dates. No problems. Sometimes even no downloads. No kidding.
It's true, there are many good software products out there that don't cost thousands of dollars, and are even free. I agree with Eric, why spend those big bucks when you don't have to? I'm sure your IT staff knows about these gems and can test them to add to your technology savings initiative. You do have a technology savings initiative, don't you? It can start with software purchases, or non-purchases.
I use Firefox, OpenOffice, Thunderbird, Skype (love Skype!)... Switching from MS Office to OpenOffice can take some patience, especially if you're in a hurry and have used MS Office for years.
Appropriately chosen, some free software, 'readers' instead of full versions, and condensed versions can go a long way in cutting the software budget. Most users use only 5% to 10% of those huge applications; many use even less. Revisit Free Software for Marcel Gagne’s book, Moving to Free Software. Check out your user's usage habits and Eric's, The Best Free Software.
Having a list of free software can help identify those strange titles when auditing for software compliance. Some free software, along with games, are not appropriate in the work place. They may be free and "legal", however, some can side-track users, lowering productivity. I wonder how many people use Second Life while at work. It's a good idea to post approved applications on an internal website along with your software policy, and send a reminder e-mail occasionally.
