As the free software/open source movement develops, free software is becoming more powerful, more secure, and easy to use. In many areas, free applications have come to equal and even surpass their commercial counterparts. For more information about the ideological framework behind free software, you can visit the Free Software Foundation/GNU Project.

• Mozilla - Mozilla Firefox is a web browser whose conformance to W3C standards exceeds that of Internet Explorer. Mozilla also provides Thunderbird, a mail program with sophisticated spam-filtering technology. Mozilla's programs run on all major operating systems, including Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X.
• 7-zip - 7-zip is a compression/archiving program for Windows that boasts fast and efficient compression and supports a wide variety of formats. 7-zip takes just seconds to download and install.
• Linux - Linux is an entire operating system and it comes in many different flavours (called distributions). Linux has been used for servers for a long time, but recently it has become more viable for desktop use. Linux is freely available, but we can help install and set it up if you have trouble.

• Make sure your data is backed up; don't risk losing all your work in the case of a disaster.
• Keep your computer secure: install security patches immediately, and make sure you use virus protection on Windows computers. Know the software on your computer, and don't install or run any programs without understanding how they work.
• Never upgrade programs that you don't need to: often, newer versions of programs can introduce new bugs or security holes, and are more demanding on hardware, thus forcing you into a cycle of continuous upgrades.

• Document all technical procedures. In case key employees leave unexpectedly, documented procedures can be used to train new employees and can ensure that your business continues to operate without interruption. We can help you to document the flow of data within your organization so that you can have continuity even in the face of changing personnel.
• Scale down, not up: keep procedures simple, aiming at minimizing time spent at the computer. Streamlining procedures and utilizing simple software can keep software and training costs down, save employee time, and allow you to realistically implement enterprise-level systems when needed. Throwing more money, man-hours, and equipment at a project will not solve the problem--it will simply waste resources.
• Avoid proprietary systems that you have little or no control over. When purchasing systems or paying for custom system development, require that you will have full ownership and control over the project's source code--the project should either be open source, or you should own it.

With experience working with business of all sizes, we can help you to determine what solutions are right for your business. With expertise in a broad array of software and operating systems, we are able to recommend and set up the product or service that is the best fit for your needs. Also, we believe in taking a pro-active, preventative approach to maintenance: we can help keep costs down in the long run and ensure that your setup is reliable and productive.