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Open source portal software is a cost-effective alternative to proprietary software for building websites and applications. Choosing the best open source software depends on business needs, compatibility, features, CMS, and collaboration options.
Portals are software platforms that facilitate the building of websites and related applications for the web. Portal software is the necessary element to make the site functional. Open source portal software is a less expensive or sometimes free alternative to branded or proprietary software. It generally allows a developer the freedom or open opportunity to distribute and use the software as he wishes without a software license. This includes sharing your code and modifying it to get the desired result.
Determining the best open source portal software for you depends on your particular business needs for the site under construction. Simply put, open source allows people to develop software based on existing knowledge, while also granting them the right to adapt and improve it to meet those specific needs. In general, open source design is available without monetary compensation due to its development using publicly available design knowledge. Because cost is often one of the first considerations when purchasing software, choosing open source portal software is a smart choice to address budgetary concerns.
Another consideration for choosing the best open source portal software includes implementation compatibility. Make sure that open source software, as well as open source applications and tools, will work with your existing operating system, application servers, and databases. Most open source software also requires Java® and often allows public and private access to virtual environments.
Likewise, determine the features you want for your site. For example, depending on the type of open source portal software you choose, it may offer variations in portal architecture and standards, available technologies and web services to implement, supported scripting language, performance, and scalability. Additional important considerations are login features, identity management, and encryption technology for security.
Your intended content management system (CMS) is another part of the selection process for the best open source portal software for your needs. In addition to choosing from various themes and layouts, decide what type of web publishing and workspace you want. Select a comprehensive and easy-to-use document library and confirm that you will have language support and knowledge management.
Finally, decide if you want to provide collaboration and social features on your site. If so, find open source portal software that includes options like wikis and a knowledge base, as well as blogs, message boards, and instant messaging. You may also want to include the convenience of calendars, webmail, and an alert or announcement system for users.
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