Usage of Open Source Software in Medium Sized Business

This thesis deals with problems of open source software and its usage in middle sized organizations. The thesis is divided into three main parts. The first of them describes the definition, characteristics, advantages and disadvantages of usage of open source software. Second part presents actual offer on the market and description of individual products. The third part uses gained findings from the previous chapters to design application architecture consisting of programs with open source codes for particular conditions of specific company with, for purposes of this thesis, hidden corporate name under World Assistance. First of the main goals of this thesis is to analyze possibilities of implementation of open source software instead of commercial solutions. Next one is to chart the offers on the market with open source software appropriate for implementation in middle-size businesses in areas such are ERP, CRM or ECM. The third goal is detailed analysis of application architecture of the World Assistance Company and inspection of its strategic business processes. Last objective is to design application architecture with usage of open source software for particular conditions of chosen firm. These goals were achieved by studying many information resources, discussions with specialist about the given topic and further analysis of current conditions of particular company. The benefits of this thesis are especially the compact view on open source software and its possibilities of usage in a mid-sized company. Last but not the least contribution is the design of the application architecture for particular, quite complex, environment of World Assistance Company.