Service · Custom software

Open source development

Picture an engineering manufacturer in the Innviertel whose technical documentation is scattered across half a dozen tools: manuals on a network drive, service know-how in the heads of fitters, spare parts lists in Excel. A commercial knowledge portal could be bought in a week, but it charges per user and stores everything in the vendor's cloud, including drawings the firm would rather not let out of its hands. Free software can do the same job on servers of your choosing, be extended freely and hook into the ERP and Active Directory. That does not automatically save money, but it shifts control: where data lives, when updates happen and who develops it further are your decisions. Our part is to pick components that will still be maintained five years from now and adapt them so that updates never become an ordeal.

No fees
per user or per workstation
SBOM
complete component inventory
Extend, do not fork
updates stay easy to apply
EU hosting
or on your own servers

Everything this covers

The work spans selection, adaptation and an operating model that does not depend on us.

Settle the details with an engineer

Selection criteria

How many active maintainers does the project have, how fast are security holes closed, is there a foundation or company behind it, how good are the docs? We score candidates on these points, not on GitHub stars.

Spotting open core

Some products are free only at the core, with vital features such as single sign-on or audit logs sold separately. We show upfront which parts you can really use for free.

Adapting without forking

Changes go into plugins, modules or configuration rather than core code. New versions can then be installed without rebuilding your customisations each time.

Licences and obligations

A list of each component's licence, from MIT and Apache 2.0 through EUPL to GPL and AGPL, flagging when disclosure duties kick in. The legal view is for your lawyer to give.

SBOM and vulnerabilities

Automated dependency checks with tools such as Renovate and Trivy, an SBOM for every release and alerts as soon as CERT.at or the project reports a flaw.

Hosting where you like

On your own servers, with Exoscale in Vienna or another EU provider, in containers with a documented install.

Contributing back

Bug fixes and useful enhancements are submitted upstream. Whatever the project accepts, you never have to maintain yourself again.

Our working method

From comparison to operation in four steps, with a pilot before the whole workforce moves over.

01

Assessment

Two or three open candidates compared with your current solution, including total cost over several years.

02

Pilot

An install for one department with real data and real work, and an honest review after a few weeks.

03

Adaptation and integration

Extensions, sign-in via Entra ID or Active Directory, import of legacy data and training over video.

04

Operation and handover

An update plan, monitoring and documentation that would let another team step in.

Free of charge is not free of maintenance. Open source needs the same security patches as anything else, except nobody turns up to install them for you. Run it without an update plan and within two years you have an outdated system no one remembers how to upgrade. Budget for upkeep from day one.

Frequently asked questions

Project licences largely exclude warranty. That makes the provider who builds and supports your solution all the more important. With us, this runs under a maintenance agreement that sets out response times and responsibilities.

Only in certain cases. Under GPL, duties usually arise when you distribute the software; under AGPL, also when you run it as an online service for others. Purely internal use rarely triggers anything. Our licence list shows the specific spots.

Security depends on how a system is run, not on its licence model. Popular projects are scrutinised heavily, flaws are disclosed openly and fixed quickly. Updates, hardening and access control are what count, and we plan them in as standard.

Yes, that is the whole point. Code, configuration and documentation are in your hands, and any team experienced in the technology will know the projects involved.

Let us assess a free solution for you

Tell us which task needs solving or which product you want to replace. We will show matching open candidates and where their limits lie.

Availability
Monday to Friday, 8:00-17:00 Austrian time (CET/CEST), reply within one working day
Meetings
By video on Microsoft Teams or Google Meet

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