Software is a significant part of modern business. Almost no 21st-century company can operate without some type of computer-based package. For most, this includes the standard Windows PC and office software. Still, depending on your business needs, you may require specialised tools and software suites specific to your industry. Many can be expensive, and some are free. Therefore you need to effectively decide on the best course of action.

Requirements Analysis

First, you should analyse your company requirements and decide on exactly what software you require. This sounds easy, but it can be an in-depth process, especially if you want the best software at the best price. For example, Microsoft Office is the most widely used office package. However, it can be expensive for business use. Therefore, Google Apps might be a better choice since it is entirely free and is just as good for the most part. 

You may also require expensive, specialised software like a fleet management system or tablet press controls. However, all software, no matter how similar, are different. In the example scenario, there are things that MS Office can do that Google Apps cannot, and vice versa. For example, Google Apps can accommodate up to 100 user collaboration at any given time while Office can accommodate 1.

Budget for Licensing

No matter its size and scalability, every business operates within budget constraints. If you could spend what you want on everything you want, there would be no cash left, right? So, you need to stick to a budget, and software should be included in that budget. Unless you are taking advantage of free software, packages and licensing can become expensive.

Because of this, you should look into alternative licensing scenarios. For example, Adobe software packages like Premier and Photoshop cost around £50 per month each. However, Adobe offers a lower price of £30 per month for a Creative Cloud subscription that gives you access to all of their packages.

Check for Free Competition

Alternatively, you could consider the competition before making a decision. Expanding on the above example, while Adobe Photoshop is the best available image manipulation package, it might be expensive for the time being. Because of this, GIMP is a popular choice for startups, students and businesses on a limited budget. GIMP offers almost all the same features as Photoshop and is entirely free.

The same can be said of Google Apps as a great choice over MS Office. MS Office offers various licenses, but none of them is cheap. However, Google Apps is free for business use with additional features available for a small fee. But you should be able to get what you need from the free version anyway. 

Looking Through Windows

Microsoft Windows is the world’s most popular PC operating system with over 70% of the market share. And while Windows is an excellent operating system, it isn’t without its flaws. Some versions, such as 2000 and Windows 8, have failed to meet consumer expectations. This is mainly due to trying to implement unnecessary features. Still, improvements to Windows 10 and the upcoming Windows 11 means Windows is once again a great OS.

However, while most PCs are shipped with Windows, there is a premium expense added to the cost of the PC. Instead, you could consider purchasing blank machines so you can install free operating systems such as Linux-based OS programs like Ubuntu and Debian. These are entirely free, require no licensing, are allegedly more secure, aren’t resource-intensive and can do everything a Windows PC can.

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