Increasingly companies need an “internet presence”, this ranges from a simple website to a complex on-line shop.  Good quality “bespoke” websites, especially if backed up by a Content Management System are costly to build and costly to maintain.

Many companies (including some of the largest in IT) are increasing turning to a new phenomena that can slash build costs and raise the reliability and usability of the website.  This revolutionary idea: Open Source Software.

“Open Source” refers to any program whose source code is made available for use or modification as users or other developers see fit.  Open source software is usually developed as a collaboration of developers ranging from freelancers to major corporations and amazingly, the base system is free.  Users of open source only pay for their own unique requirements.  The generic stuff, and that is most of the code, is free.

A Microsoft employee tried taking a picture of CEO Steve Ballmer (pictured) with an Apple iPhone. The story from the Wall Street Journal show reports that Ballmer pretending to stamp on the phone in public.

Turns out, lots of Microsoft employees use the iPhone.

The paper reports that more than 10,000 iPhone users - that's 10% of the Microsoft global workforce - accessed the Microsoft employee email system last year.

And a quick trip to the Microsoft headquarters in Seattle reveals tons of workers tapping away on their rival's phone.
The iPhone makes up 25% of the smartphone market in the U.S.; phones running Windows Phone software account for only 15.7%.
A Microsoft spokeswoman declined to comment to the paper on the story.

Obviously this is a joke, but none the less, very entertaining!

It's taken a while, with our clients keeping us busy throughout 2009, but now the Design Utopia website is finally out there in the Ether!

It's been a lengthy process getting the balance right, constant re-designs, and no doubt many more improvements for the future!

Let us know what you think