software costs

Lowering operating costs has always been among the top priorities of today's enterprises, and cloud computing may be what they need to achieve that.

This technology has been around for years, but its role today has increased tremendously since it is used not just to provide software as a service, but infrastructure and platform as a service as well.

In these tough times we all need as many tips as we can get to save a few dollars.

The cost of buying a new desktop or laptop box is just the start. The price can double when you have to add in the software costs of Microsoft Office (Outlook, Excel, Word and PowerPoint), antivirus, and image editing software such as Adobe Acrobat.

Below are only a few free software options that are available to be downloaded from the Internet.

Office Applications

Hewlett-Packard on Monday unveiled new solutions within its Adaptive Infrastructure portfolio. Despite the convergence theme, some analysts said the direct comparison against Cisco's Unified Communications Systems is overstated.

In any case, HP is making bold promises. The company is claiming its new approach fundamentally changes the way technology is used to deliver business services while also reducing infrastructure costs and data-center complexity.

Wi-Fi nomads are a sorry bunch, wandering with laptops open, hoping their modern-day divining rods can locate a free Internet connection.

Here's a tip: check your pocket.

The cell phone there makes it possible to bypass the laptop cards and dongles that turn cell signals into Internet connections. New technologies are making it possible to bypass the wireless phone companies' old approaches as well as the steep monthly fees that accompany them.