Need to discover some open source enterprise apps for your business? You should have been at LinuxWorld

SAN FRANCISCO -- Linux is everywhere in business computing nowadays, but finding just the right application can still be tough.

The reason -- finding software projects within the open source community isn't as easy as opening a phone book and dialing up the nearest big hardware or software consulting company.

But fear not, because at this week's LinuxWorld Conference & Expo here at San Francisco's Moscone Center, I perused the usual suspects and found some interesting vendors with enterprise applications and services that might be valuable to you, the enterprise IT customer.

Do you need a Linux server-based business reporting and business intelligence application to create useful reports on your business? Then check out Cyberscience Corp.'s Enterprise Cyberquery application which runs on Linux, Unix or Windows on the server and on your employees' Windows desktops to provide your critical data and business analysis.

Are you looking for an open source Web-based Enterprise Resource Management application to bring your customers, suppliers and business partners together in a manageable and scaleable system? Then take a look at Openbravo ERP or the subscription-based Openbravo Network from
Openbravo SL, which can be accessed from any location over the Internet at 30% to 40% less than large proprietary ERP applications, according to the vendor.

If your business needs an open source collaboration, e-mail and calendaring application that is expandable as your business grows, then aris-based Linagora Group offers its Open Business Management (OMB.org) application, which is used widely by large government agencies in France. OMB allows users to continue to use the familiar Microsoft Outlook or Mozilla Thunderbird clients on their desktops, while giving businesses more flexibility and lower costs, said CEO Alexandre Zapolsky.

Unified communications packages are also available from open source vendors. Here at the show, Norwalk, Conn.based Voiceroute.net demonstrated its Druid open source unified communications project, which it calls a next-generation phone system for small- to medium-sized businesses. Druid runs on Linux and is available in a free community version and as an enterprise version, Druid UCS, which includes support and services with a paid contract. Druid works with IP-based or analog phones and integrates with Research in Motion Blackberry devices and fax programs, providing all-in-one communications for any and all devices, according to CEO Ming Guang Yong. The company sells a small appliance that contains the application and will run the system.

Need help organizing and finding all of the corporate wikis within your business? Then download and run Twiki.net's WikiCrawler software, which will scan your networks and report the types and addresses of the internal corporate wikis that it discovers so you can better organize, maintain, optimize and backup your wikis.

A wide range of open source Web 2.0 applications are available, including Drupal, an open source "social publishing" and content management platform that brings together Web site creation, social networking and content management organization to allow businesses to publish, manage and organize their content. Drupal includes wikis, blogs, mashups and more, according to Kieran Lal, whose company, Andover, Mass.-based Acquia Inc., provides paid commercial support for Drupal business users.