UK Web Design agency chosen to host International Open Source Software conference

Jan. 27, 2010 - PRLog -- Bristol, UK - Netsight Internet Solutions (http://www.netsight.co.uk), a web design agency based in Bristol, has been selected to host the Plone Conference 2010 at the end of October. The conference is expected to attract around 500 delegates with a variety of professional backgrounds from around the world.

This conference will be a significant boost for the Open Source Software movement in the UK. Open Source Software is released with its source code, allowing organisations to modify and extend it to suit their requirements. It is created by communities which release it without licence fees, meaning that the initial and ongoing costs of ownership are reduced. Because of this, many businesses and public sector organisations are using Open Source Software to be more flexible and reduce their IT costs.

Popular Open Source Software offerings such as Linux and Open Office have seen substantial increases in market share as the recent global recession has prompted more and more organisations to look for additional value from their software. The UK Government is already heavily backing Open Source Software, accelerating its use in public services.

Some 46 percent of businesses have implemented Open Source Software, or plan to pilot it this year, according to a Forrester Research survey of 2,200 IT executives in the UK, France, Germany, the US and Canada. (Source Forrester: Fast growth for open source software in enterprises, via computerworlduk.com)

First released in 2001, Plone is a widely used enterprise-level Open Source Web Content Management system, used to build technically advanced websites and large corporate intranets. It allows non-technical people to easily create and manage content, and provides administrators with a powerful set of workflow and group management tools. Plone is used by organisations as diverse as NASA, Oxfam, eBay, The University of Oxford, Warwickshire Police Force and Novell.

The annual Plone conference is a popular and internationally anticipated event within the world of software technology. The event attracts attendees from over 30 countries to learn from Plone's top developers, hear case-studies of some of the most successful Plone projects, and participate in Open Space discussions with the rest of the Plone community that help shape the future direction of the project.

Geir Bækholt, President of the Plone Foundation said "I am incredibly happy to see the Plone Conference 2010 hosted in Bristol. Netsight and the UK Plone community have been active Plone contributors for years and hosted several Plone-related events before. The international Plone Community is enthusiastic about the event and the location and are looking forward to yet another in the line of what is becoming a tradition of wonderful, friendly and incredibly rewarding technology conferences."

The seven day event will start with two days of training from Plone community trainers before the main conference, and two days of development 'sprints' after. This year will also feature a one-day mini-conference running in parallel aimed at showcasing Plone to industry analysts and decision makers.

Such an event will enhance Bristol's reputation as the region's top digital city and aims to enhance the Open Source community within the UK as a whole. The Plone Conference is set to be a landmark in the UK's promotion and backing of Open Source, and aims to raise both public and private sector awareness of the advantages, cost savings and flexibility associated with Open Source Software.  

To find out more about the Plone Conference or Plone visit http://plone.org/events/conferences/bristol-2010/plone-co... or contact Netsight at ploneconf2010@netsight.co.uk

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Netsight is a web development company that uses Plone - an Open Source content management system to produce exceptional websites and intranets. We combine proven technical expertise with engaging, intuitive, award winning design.