Open source solutions are growing in popularity and are now commonly used by businesses looking for affordable options that don's skimp on features and quality. The latest issue of Information Week included an article titled "The Open Source Enterprise." Below are some excerpts from the article:

The problems that made open source code impractical for many businesses are falling away. Combined with the 'cheaper' factor, this should get interesting....In an economic slowdown that's getting worse, open source matters, now more than ever.... With its transparent and standards-based development, open source code can cut the complexity and risk of custom coding for integration or niche needs.

Another article in the November 17, 2008 issue, titled "Is Collaboration Enough," further touts the advantages of open source solutions:

As the economy tanks, open source proponents reflexively point to the low capital costs of acquiring open source software. They also want better. Thus, collaboration is more than just staying true to the open source credo of community and cooperation. It's also a smart business move.

Gone are the days when companies fretted over the viability of open source development business models, or when political or cultural ideals played a part in whether to use open source. Open source companies have proven they can go toe-to-toe with proprietary vendors to solve real business problems. Today, companies size up these open source content management products with bottom-line objectivity. And that's progress.

Open source software is "a program in which the source code is available to the general public for use and/or modification from its original design free of charge" (source). If your business needs an outstanding website with all the bells-and-whistles, but is concerned about costs, open source solutions are for you. Catamount Web Solutions specilizes in leveraging the power of the open source community to bring you feature-rich websites without the high-costs of custom web development.