Start-ups

As an entrepreneur, you have questions: “How do I efficiently manage my people?” “How can I keep track of projects?” “Where do I start with my website?” It can feel pretty overwhelming; luckily, there’s a fantastic resource to solve an abundance of entrepreneurial problems: open source technology - Asha Saxena, Columbia University professor & founder Aculyst Healthcare

Open source software provides all the tools a start-up needs to get up and running without the expensive licensing fees. Don't waste your investment capital on technology; invest it in launching and growing your business. With so many open source software options, you can explore and experiment with different technologies to find the right one without any fear of lock-in with one application or vendor. LOCUS PLEXUS offers a portfolio of software tailored for the needs of start-ups, allowing entrepreneurs to focus on what makes their company different and their work distinctive.

Start-up Solution: Accounting & Book-keeping: GNUCash; Email: Thunderbird; Graphics: GIMP; Office Productivity: LibreOffice; PC & Server Operating Systems: Ubuntu; Website: Wordpress

Small Businesses

From alternatives to Microsoft Office to full-blown ERP systems, open source software can provide free options for small and medium-sized businesses that don't have the budget for big-ticket enterprise applications. - CIO Magazine

While the lower total cost of ownership has traditionally driven the adoption of open source software with small and medium-sized businesses, other advantages include greater security, higher quality, customizability, and freedom from vendor lock-in. For businesses of all sizes, open source software provides unlimited access to full-featured software that can help grow and automate the business at little to no cost while still delivering enterprise-grade functionality and results. LOCUS PLEXUS expands your company's resources and capacity, working as part of your team to discover and implement technologies to help your business grow and succeed.

SMB Solution - ERP System (Accounting, CRM, e-Commerce, HR, Inventory, Marketing): OFBiz; Document Management: NextCloud; Graphics Suite: Blender, GIMP, Inkscape, & Scribus; Issue Tracking & Project Management: Redmine; Office Productivity: LibreOffice; PC & Server Operating Systems: Ubuntu; Server Management: ISPConfig; Team Communications: Mattermost; Website: Drupal

Non-Profits

Focus your time and effort on what you’re building—not what you’re building it with. - Tidelift

Identifying the right software for a non-profit can be daunting, especially for those who may not have internal expertise. Fortunately, open source software offers cost-effective solutions, developed and maintained by communities of like-minded peers that extend benefits to non-profits beyond the technology. Because open source software is community-driven—created by and for the social sector—tremendous opportunities exist to better equip non-profits with feature-rich software—at reduced operating costs—and expand a non-profit's network for collaboration and co-creation beyond technical issues. LOCUS PLEXUS fills the technology gap common in non-profit organizations, identifying critical software needs and solutions and the communities of collaboration to support your goals and mission.

Non-Profit Solution: Bulk Emailing: Mail for Good; Constituent Relationship Management: CiviCRM; Content Management System: WordPress; Discussion Forum: Discourse; Graphics Suite: Blender, GIMP, Inkscape, & Scribus; Mailing Lists: Mailman; Office Productivity: LibreOffice; PC & Server Operating System: Ubuntu; Web Conferencing: Jitsi; Wiki: DokuWiki.

Solutions for Schools

Schools have practical reasons to use open source software, and arguably a societal duty to do so.
- School Education Gateway, European Union

Educational opportunities should be available to all learners. Creating an open education ecosystem involves making learning materials, data, and educational opportunities available without restrictions imposed by restrictive licenses, access barriers, or exclusive proprietary systems that lack interoperability and limit the free exchange of information. Open source software benefits schools in several ways: increasing access and equity, empowering teachers and schools, and saving money. LOCUS PLEXUS provides educational institutions with a portfolio of software solutions that enables education and access and expands opportunities through technology and community.

More information on Open Source Software for Schools and a LIVE DEMO featuring tools for online learning (BigBlueButton and Moodle), community outreach (CiviCRM, Drupal, Wordpress), administration (Evergreen Libraries and Gibbon SIS), desktop productivity (LibreOffice, Blender, GIMP, Inkscape, & Scribus) and desktop and server operating systems (Ubuntu).

Government Agencies

The Federal Government is already building some of our most important projects using open source, and more are launching all the time. - Tony Scott, U.S. Chief Information Officer

There is tremendous compatibility between open source software communities and government, which are both centered around transparency and access. With open source applications, government can take advantage of the newest technologies and approaches, remove replication and redundancy among departments, spur innovation and integration across agencies, and work collaboratively with the public and government stakeholders. Open source software frees government from reliance on proprietary software, and data restrictions, and vendor lock-in. As a result, content and services–owned by the people–are liberated from proprietary systems that may otherwise limit access to it. LOCUS PLEXUS has the experience to help government implement open source software solutions and relationships to civic-minded communities of practice to help build public access, public engagement, and public trust.

Government Solution: Content Management System: Drupal; Document Management: NextCloud; ERP System (Accounting, CRM, e-Commerce, HR, Inventory, Marketing): OFBiz; Graphics Suite: Blender, GIMP, Inkscape, & Scribus; Office Productivity: LibreOffice; PC & Server Operating System: Ubuntu; Team Communications: Rocket.Chat; Web Conferencing: Jitsi.