Open source software has received much "air time" recently, largely as a result of efforts of Mark Shuttleworth and the Go-Open Foundation.
The result is that open source software is increasingly being adopted by businesses in South Africa and, from the distributors` perspective, has opened doors to new markets and opportunities.
This is the view of Zandre Rudolph, a business manager at Rectron, who says open source software is now ready for commercial use at desktop level.
"The support of open source by Rectron and other distributors in South Africa will add weight to its crusade to gain critical mass and business credibility," he says.
"From Rectron`s point of view, open source represents a sound investment in a technology that is gaining momentum. We have launched our open source initiative by throwing our weight behind the Suse 9.3 version of Linux.
"It`s a platform with wide appeal, addressing users ranging from small and medium businesses, to home users and even software developers who want to set up a network or run a Web server. It includes installation media and is available at a nominal charge with free support via Novell."
Rudolph says Rectron selected the platform because it is able to provide a complete set of desktop applications - including an office suite, a Web browser, an instant-messaging function as well as a multimedia viewer and graphical software.
"These packages are fully compatible with all other common `office` packages, including word processor, spreadsheet, presentation, database, and desktop publishing and even project management applications," he says.
"The time is right for open source software. The price of personal computers is falling dramatically, creating opportunities for dealers to address a new breed of potential customers who were previously unable to afford a PC.
"For very little additional outlay, these new users can opt for open source software and gain access to a variety of desktop applications as well as an Internet connection."
Rudolph adds that Rectron has demonstrated its support for the open source movement by becoming the only distributor in South Africa to approve all its modem products for use with Suse 9.3 software.
Share
Editorial contacts