Small Business

There is an open source revolution brewing in health care where noble motivations prevail over profit.

The free software and open source community is thick with non-profit foundations and associations. Here's a look at how these organizations are doing, and how their top workers are compensated.

The evolution of big data, Hadoop, and related technologies is interesting, but not just from a purely esoteric standpoint. Understanding how these technologies fit together will give users a better idea of which solution is right for them.

From more affordable virtualization to cloud everything to gigabit wireless to NAS appliances, small businesses have a lot to watch for in 2012. To help you plan for the year ahead, check our picks for top tech trends of 2012 -- all cast with the needs of small businesses in mind.

Though Microsoft doesn't make a big deal of Windows 7's many networking improvements and new features, they offer a fine reason to upgrade from XP. There used to be many reasons to skip migrating to Windows 7; but as the operating system matures and XP ages, Windows 7 is becoming a worthwhile update.

Inexpensive SMB/branch office routers deliver advanced performance and security features.

Congratulations, Mac-based freelancer or business owner! Maybe you're just starting out on your entrepreneurial journey or perhaps you're gearing up to take things to the next level. Either way, if you're already feeling overwhelmed by a seemingly endless to-do list that you have yet to actually jot down, these ten great business apps and plug-ins could be just what you need to tackle the tasks at hand.

Few events have crystallized U.S. fears over a cyber catastrophe, or brought on calls for a strategic response, more than the recent attacks against Google and more than 30 other tech firms. The company's disclosure in January that it was attacked by China-based hackers -- and its subsequent decision to scale back operations there -- have stoked long-standing fears over the ability of cyber adversaries to penetrate commercial and government networks in the U.S.

Having a file server has its advantages: your business critical files are stored on something that has more protection because it doesn't have one of your users sitting in front of it all day, surfing the Web and getting infected with e-mails. You can lock it in a closet to prevent theft, too. And lately prices have come down.

Industry observers say e-document delivery streamlines the billing process, reduces time-consuming manual tasks and saves companies significantly on paper and postal costs.

If you are in charge of security at an SMB, here are five key security trends that are affecting SMBs, along with some ideas on how to capitalize on them.