Open Source Software Support

For most companies information technology (IT/ICT) is simply a means to an end. Economic logic dictates that many will retain technical staff to meet routine day-to-day exigencies, but use external support to tackle those situations which are too occasional to justify the cost of retaining in-house experts, e.g. catastrophic failure, security threat, upgrade, extension/customisation, migration, or the like.

One of the principal reasons for the growth of open source software is its affinity with this business model. The big name open source packages (e.g. Apache, Bind and Sendmail) are typically robust, stable and infrastructural in nature. They are usually installed and configured just once, then run and run without interruption or maintenance until they are either retired or redirected towards new tasks and functions.

In fast developing technologies like Linux and open source, experience counts for even more than it does in older and more mature markets. Recent converts to Linux and open source, however prestigious their name and reputation, are unlikely to have the depth of knowledge and experience to efficiently address the most common requirement for Linux and open source support, i.e. serious troubleshooting skills. This depth of experience is, however, precisely what long-term open source experts like GBdirect and its associates can provide.