Finding a Practical IT Solution—Open Source Accounting Software

Abstract

Abstract: Companies, both large and small, are currently emerging in the UAE, and an important step for these firms, and a challenging one, is choosing the right accounting software. Open-source software is gaining acceptance and has become a prominent software paradigm today, which, unlike proprietary off-the-shelf software with its restrictive copyright licenses, is available free of charge. A better understanding of the role of open-source accounting software will result in higher performance accounting and finance departments. With this kind of software, companies can access the source code, change it, and customize it to suit their needs, as well as redistribute it in either modified or unmodified form. There are some companies in the UAE using proprietary accounting software who are not aware of the availability of such an alternative. This research paper studies the state of art of accounting software used in the UAE, and then demonstrates how open-source accounting software could provide a valuable solution for the business sector.