This combination – rental payment scheme and free software – provides SMEs a chance to utilize the many benefits of technology for business, something that was commonly believed to be reserved for major enterprises only.
Entry-level servers today running on commercial software may cost an outright Php 100,000.00 at the very least, depending on the number of users that are connected to the machine. In contrast, servers being rented or leased by GEN Automation can cost as little as Php 4,300.00 per month.
The reason for the huge difference in price lies on the Linux software which GEN Automation uses to power their servers. Linux platform is an example of free and open source software (FOSS).
“Our mission has always been to provide what we like to call ‘the Linux advantage’, specifically to the SMEs here in Metro Manila,” said Patricia B. Celis, Sales & Marketing Officer. “Since small companies are oftentimes unable to afford investments in IT due to its high cost, we provided a way to go around this problem by combining Open Source software with affordable rental and lease-to-own packages.”
Upon availing of these packages, customers pay a fixed monthly billing for a certain number of months. Prices cover the cost of the hardware, the installation services of the software, and even the complete technical support and maintenance of the server throughout the rental or lease period.
“When we started in 2000, we rented out email servers for as low as Php 3,000.00 per month,” said Ms. Celis. “This was definitely very easy on the budget.”
Open Source is a collaborative way of developing software whereby the software and its source code are made freely available, thus the term free software. An example of this is Linux, which is an open-source operating system developed and distributed under the GNU Public License.
Using the unique combination of rental payment schemes with Linux, GEN Automation has not only helped SMEs take advantage of the benefits of investing in technology, but has also educated these small and medium sized company owners about Open Source solutions.
Ms. Celis added, “Part of our goal is to let small and medium businesses know they have a choice when it comes to reaping benefits from Information Technology (IT). We have been doing so in the six years since we’ve started, and we have no plans of stopping any time soon.”
About GEN Automation Technologies:
GEN Automation is a systems integration company offering Linux expertise to small and medium sized businesses in Metro Manila, Philippines. For more information, please visit http://www.gen.com.ph or contact us at (632) 916-3971.