Many open source businesses have a multi-tiered product model, offering an open source version for free and a closed source version with extra features that users have to pay for. TimeTrex, a Canadian company that offers a web-based payroll and time management application, offers free Standard and commercial Business and Professional editions of its TimeTrex software, but all of them are open source. “Having a freely available edition allows potential customers to test out the software without any restrictions before deciding if they require support or features available in our other products,” says developer Jon Hutchison.
“This model works exceptionally well for us because no two organizations are the same, and we are all about providing our customers with flexibility, both in functionality and price (free). Being open source is the only true way that we can offer our customers the level of flexibility that they require, so it was a easy decision to make.”
TimeTrex allows organizations of all sizes to schedule, track attendance, and pay their employees. It’s a complete drop-in time management solution with a fully integrated payroll module that allows organizations to process their entire payroll, including taxes, deductions, and benefit plans, right through to paying the employees by check or direct deposit, and submitting the necessary reports to the government. The software features an automated installer, an extensive administrator guide, and even video training courses that walk users through the entire setup process from start to finish.
Hutchison says, “TimeTrex is downloaded over 12,000 times each month. We have organizations with as few as two employees and with as many as several thousand employees using TimeTrex on a daily basis.”
The software has been a web application for more than a decade. Hutchison says, “TimeTrex originally started in 1999 as a custom application, under a different name, for a brick-and-mortar franchise with very specific needs that weren’t being met by products on the market at that time. This led TimeTrex to be designed as web-based application that works great for organizations with multiple locations. It was a huge success, and in 2003 the decision was made to start from scratch on a general-purpose payroll and time management application. In its current incarnation TimeTrex has been around for seven years and continues to grow and get stronger every year.
“As an open source company that is fully committed to the open source concept, whenever possible we try to use and support open source tools. TimeTrex was developed in PHP, supporting MySQL and PostgreSQL databases using the Linux operating system. Our entire team – development, support, and sales – uses some flavor of Linux as their primary desktop operating system.”
Hutchison says big changes are coming to the application in the near future. “The entire interface is being rewritten from scratch as a rich Internet application to make better use of drag and drop and other performance and usability enhancements. We will offer a SOAP API covering 100% of the functionality available through the user interface, allowing our customers to easily develop their own extensions or integration modules. We’re also developing a complete human resource management (HRM) module and expense and mileage tracker.”
Though an entire company helps develop and market TimeTrex, Hutchison says, “One of our primary goals is to foster a strong and active development community around TimeTrex. We always welcome people to join in and help out however they can. The best way to get in touch is through our community forums.”