Technology
Written by Alma Anonas-Carpio / Correspondent
Sunday, 25 January 2009 22:50

OPEN source solutions provider Touch Solutions Inc. is ready to provide Oracle Enterprise Linux solutions even to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with 50 computers and a server or two.

These software offerings allow enough flexibility so users can blend proprietary software such as the Microsoft Windows operating systems and programs that run on Windows, with open source Oracle applications and software based on the free Linux operating system software.

In addition to current open source users such as those in the telecommunications, banking and finance and government sectors, Touch Solution is positioning its products for the SME market.

Touch Solutions president Anson Uy said at a press briefing in Makati City that his firm expects to see “more widespread adoption of open source [solutions] among SMEs” and for “Oracle customers to get support from a single vendor.”

Touch Solution’s vice president for sales Boom Villaba said while open source software, code and program applications “are free for use or for developing new applications on,” it is the product support services that open source clients pay for. Villaba said open source software offers a competitive alternative to costly proprietary software, “since open source software is free to download, use and develop…and it has a whole community of developers contributing to ongoing efforts to make these software stable and more efficient.”

One example Villaba cited is Oracle’s Unbreakable Linux software, which Touch Solutions is now offering. This program comes with network support for software and software updates.

Product support for Unbreakable Linux comes in two services: the basic package entails 24/7 global support from a toll-free helpline for Linux server life cycle management and for the cluster software used in these servers and premier support, while the premier package adds “premier backports” and Oracle Lifetime support to the basic package.

Uy said his company is “fully committed to enhancing the value we provide to our customers,” adding the new Oracle offerings Touch Solutions is bringing to the market “marks a significant milestone” in his firm’s efforts to “help organizations achieve a cost-effective, flexible and efficient IT [information technology] foundation that promotes faster development and lower maintenance costs through reusable services.”

That commitment, he said, is buttressed by Touch Solutions’ local technical support team, which includes 10 Linux Professional Institute-certified troubleshooters who can provide troubleshooting walkthrough support over the phone or provide on-site assistance, if needed. Touch Solutions, he added, “has about 70 [employees] and, as we get more customers, we will add to our staff.” Uy also noted that many companies blend open source software with proprietary programs to come up with the “mix that works for them.”

Villaba demonstrated the ease of data and application migration from server to server using Oracle’s Unbreakable Linux program, noting that this software ensures the quick and easy transfer of data “without any downtime at all, so our clients who use this for mission-critical data and applications can implement a high level of availability” for their servers.

* Published by BusinessMirror