Many computer users have heard of Open Office, titled “The Free and Open Productivity Suite.” It certainly has its benefits: you have the ability to do word processing, spreadsheets, make presentations and even PDFs. In today’s economic climate, with budgets getting tighter every day, choosing Open Office seems like an easy decision. Or is it?

There are many things you can do in Open Office. You can write letters, documents, presentations, files, spreadsheets, PDFs and more. It’s ideal for business or home computer use. This is a high octane program that keeps delivering each and every time.

While Open Office is compatible with Microsoft Word, and typically users should be able to open your documents – not every recipient wishes to accept Open Office documents. To be fair, some recipients don’t want to accept other types of documents like Microsoft Word docx documents or other formats. But the biggest challenge in choosing Open Office is that you’ll only be able to send your documents in this format. Whereas if you send them using another word processing suite like Microsoft Word, typically you’ll be offered some options in the “Save As” mode so you can save the document in a different method. Having your documents reach the recipient are critical for any situation and realizing that there may be times your documents are not accepted in that format is something important to know. Try to have a backup plan so you can send your documents in a different format.

Open Office is very popular because it is easy to use. Users have described Open Office as an “intuitive” program, and many describe it as similar to Microsoft Word. So if you have used Microsoft Word, you will likely find the transition easy to Open Office. This is a great convenience when choosing Open Office for your computing needs. The layout is clear, bright and easy to understand with simple and very practical looking graphics to help you with your word processing or other needs.

A tight budget might be one of the top reasons to choose Open Office as your word processing and “Productivity Suite.” But many stay for the different functions. The ability to make your own PDF documents easily is a function you don’t see in every “suite” offered today. For a no charge program, it certainly offers a lot.

Any computer software user wonders about what type of “tech support” is offered. At Open Office there are a variety of options. There is a Wiki that people contribute to, there is a forum where you can ask and answer questions and there are other ways to find support for your Open Office questions and needs. From what we have seen, it looks like questions are answered by fellow, enthusiastic users of Open Office and not paid staff. While your questions may get answered, there is a difference between a volunteer and a paid employee spending a specific amount of time each day at a task. This may be a challenge – then again may not, depending on the individual situation – to the Open Office user looking for that answer to a question to help them with their computing needs. There’s something to be said for passion about a subject – but also something to be said for a part time or full time employee who punches a time clock each day vs. a volunteer who visits a forum when they feel like it.

Millions of people use Open Office every day, and you may become one of them too. It is easy to use, convenient and best of all – free! Visit www.openoffice.org to learn more about this great computer software program available for everyone.

Galorath, Inc. is the leading provider of tools that make your business work better, like Total Cost of Ownership and Project Tracking Software.

It’s a fact: the iPhone has taken over. World domination is imminent (kidding!). Many are not only using their iPhones, but using iPhone Apps everyday. For business and fun, iPhone Apps are easy and convenient.

iPhone Apps have become more popular than ever. You can find an iPhone App for just about anything you can imagine today. And some who use the iPhone Apps, use them daily or regularly, and can’t think of doing without them. They are the ideal business tool for the busy professional on the go.

The iPhone store has more than half a million iPhone Apps, that’s a lot of Apps to sort through when you’re looking for a few to add to your iPhone! But iPhone Apps can help you stay connected to the business world, be convenient and practical tools and simply make things you do each day for work that much easier. Which ones should you choose? Here is a list of 6 Must Have Business iPhone Apps. No matter your industry or job title, we think you’ll agree that these are Must Have iPhone Apps you’ve got to download¦pronto!

Evernote. Evernote is used to make notes. Sounds simple? It’s a lot more than “just” notes. You can create text, photo and audio “notes” and keep them all in Evernote. So whether you are a creative, technical or business professional, Evernote has great practical applications. It is so helpful to be able to take notes and store them for whatever project(s) you are working on. Especially ideal for brainstorming on-the-go when those great ideas come to you and you don’t have a notebook or anything to write with, because you’ve always got your iPhone!

Chase Mobile. Now we’re not going to tell you which bank to use, we included this one as an example. With Chase Mobile you can access your bank account, credit card, investments and make and send payments, pay bills. Most major banks today have apps for this. A lot of them also have the ability to “scan” your checks right into your account using your iPhone, such a convenient tool! Ideal for that busy professional who may not have time to get to the bank but wants to stay on top of their finances.

Mint.com Personal Finance. Mint.com is a very popular app, ideal for managing your personal finances. Many people use this site to track their personal finances, and now you can do so from their app! This app is free and will help you stay on budget and track your expenses and bills.

CNBC Real Time. You’ll want this app so you can track your stocks at all times. Best of all, you can create a “watch list” of your stocks to watch so you can easily see your favorites, to track your portfolio and its ups and downs. Video clips are added daily so you can learn about the stock market from top experts.

Amtrak. This app for Amtrak helps you to book and plan your trip using the Amtrak trains. You can easily buy tickets and see schedules for all of their trains. Get current information about the trains, including any delays or news, so you are always ready to catch your train on time.

Zagat. Many business professionals entertain clients, and you always want to take them to a great restaurant. You can count on Zagat for top notch reviews and restaurant recommendations. The Zagat app has restaurant reviews and ratings from more than 45 Zagat guides. A great way to find a restaurant locally or while on that business trip.

Article written by Lawrence Reaves, writing on behalf of Galorath, Inc., providing software estimation tools for complex business projects.

Acquiring the all inclusive expenditures of ownership of any given system is a key element before generating the ultimate choice to buy. The total cost of ownership of a system is the mixed expenditures of it, as well as the expenditures of materials, etc. This knowledge should be your first goal, as frequently less highly-priced devices can have a more highly- total cost of ownership than some highly-priced devices, due to repair and materials.

Another element that this information should help you decide upon is the issue of rental vs. ownership. Figuring out whether or not you wish to buy a machine or utilize a rental option can save a little money, based on the needs of your workplace. Booked products can be manufactured with supply plans, and can make a very low price per website when compared with getting products.

The total cost of ownership can dramatically change your perspective on which system you are looking to buy for your workplace. With expenditures per website, repair and other factors all invoice discounting into your overall expenditures associated with getting a multi-purpose producing system, there is much to consider when generating this choice.

If you would like to learn more about the all inclusive total cost of ownership and how you can make calculation of function point estimation that perfect for you, please contact www.galorath.com.

Technology has enabled business owners to streamline their businesses, improve their bottom line, and reduce operating costs, among others. In the past, before the invention of computers and software, companies had to spend a large amount of money on equipment and labor. Today, with the availability of state-of-the-art software, we are able to improve performance and productivity of staff at the office or in the factory. However, with the variety of software and business solution out there, it is imperative to find which software and tools to use or what activities can be improved by using software. This is where project evaluation and planning is required. Anyway, before you decide to execute a development project, it is best to estimate the project beforehand using total cost of ownership software.

Total cost of ownership (TCO) software helps determine the total cost of developing, using, and maintaining new software. Since project development is perhaps one of the most resource consuming and complicated development projects that any business owner may have throughout the time he or she runs the company, it is necessary to plan, assess, and calculate everything right from the beginning to avoid financial blunder in the middle or end of the project. Total cost solution analysis will help a company to determine the scope of a project, whether the solution will worth the investment and time, and to determine a controllable budget. The point is generally (but not limited) to find out whether a project is able to save money as part of a wide ranging cost cutting strategy. Total cost of ownership software is typically combined with function point estimation to find out the scope of the problem, the size of a system, the cost, schedule, and risk, among others. By using the right estimation software, you will save tremendous amount of money and risk of failure due to lack of accurate estimation. Estimate your project early and get ready for successful projects.

Managing a software development project is not an easy task. Often times, you will have to deal with missed deadlines, failed test attempts, under-estimated costs, and many more. In addition to this, you will have to estimate the value of a project by its function points. Without the right estimation, your organization is likely to spend more than it needs once the project is run. This is where function point estimation software comes into play.

Function-based sizing helps perform a function point estimation that will be used for analyzing the cost, schedule, reliability, and risk of a project. Without a reliable function based sizing, a software project will be difficult to assess. If you want to have a successful development project that is also cost-effective and efficient, before you start the project you should consider using estimation software that is able to present you with total cost of ownership. Total cost of ownership, or often known as life cycle cost analysis is beneficial in determining the overall costs that will be incurred throughout the development, implementation, maintenance, and replacement of software.

Instead of calculates the costs based on project execution and implementation only, a total cost of ownership measures the costs of software maintenance, employees training classes, support services, and other possible issues that may arise. It also measures the cost to un-install the program altogether. You can browse around for estimation software developer that is able to provide you with accurate, reliable total cost of ownership and function point estimation software to help you succeed in executing any project that is or will be under your management.

Our boss called a meeting today to apprise us of a new project which is on the anvil. It is a huge project and a lot of factors need to be considered before we actually go ahead and implement it. We decided we should start Estimating Software Costs to accurately estimate the total cost of ownership it will take for the project to come to its successful conclusion. My boss also asked us to get should cost modeling done for determining what our final product should cost in the market. We are using function point estimation. This way we will be fully prepared for any eventualities that may arise and will also be able to plan ahead with confidence.

SEER for Software (SEER-SEM) is a powerful decision-support tool for estimating software development and maintenance cost, labor, staffing, schedule, reliability, and risk as a function of size, technology, and any project management constraints. I can just imagine how much more successful our organization will be once it is able to determine, in advance, which projects would likely run into cost, schedule, or resource overruns. We will also be able to ensure that all project managers have equal project and software estimation expertise, and that every supplier negotiation begins with a thorough, documented analysis of what a project should cost.

Take time for a little fun. This sounds counterintuitive to getting your work done, but it actually works for both work and your personal life. Take time to enjoy some of your favorite holiday things, whether it’s your child’s holiday concert, cutting down a Christmas tree or just walking through the snow. Watch your energy soar as you enjoy some of your favorite things. Think for a minute about doing something you love for an hour or two. How do you feel? Probably you feel terrific, like you could do a lot more at work when you got back.