%0 Journal Article %J Open Source Business Resource %D 2011 %T Cost Optimization Through Open Source Software %A Mark VonFange %A Dru Lavigne %X The cost of information technology (IT) as a percentage of overall operating and capital expenditures is growing as companies modernize their operations and as IT becomes an increasingly indispensable part of company resources. The price tag associated with IT infrastructure is a heavy one, and, in today's economy, companies need to look for ways to reduce overhead while maintaining quality operations and staying current with technology. With its advancements in availability, usability, functionality, choice, and power, free/libre open source software (F/LOSS) provides a cost-effective means for the modern enterprise to streamline its operations. iXsystems wanted to quantify the benefits associated with the use of open source software at their company headquarters. This article is the outgrowth of our internal analysis of using open source software instead of commercial software in all aspects of company operations. %B Open Source Business Resource %I Talent First Network %C Ottawa %8 01/2011 %G eng %U http://timreview.ca/article/408 %N January 2011 %9 Articles %1 iXsystems Mark VonFange is the Professional Services Manager at iXsystems, providing oversight and coordination of its FreeBSD, PC-BSD, and FreeNAS support and development services. The Professional Services Team provides services ranging from mission critical support to software and firmware development to private consultation. Mark also develops internal and external documentation for division sales and marketing. %2 PC-BSD Project Dru Lavigne is the Director of Community Development for the PC-BSD Project where she leads the documentation team, assists new users, helps to find and fix bugs, and reaches out to members of the open source community to discover their needs. She is the former Managing Editor of the OSBR and author of BSD Hacks, The Best of FreeBSD Basics, and The Definitive Guide to PC-BSD.