Artefactual Systems provides...

1) Open-source software solutions for archives and digital collections:

2) Analysis, design and systems integration consulting services for organizations that are implementing:

  • Digital preservation strategies
  • Digital archives systems
  • Trusted digital repositories
  • Archival description software
  • Collections management software
  • Community portals

How our open-source business works...

Artefactual Systems is not a software vendor. We do not sell software licenses. Artefactual Systems is a technical service provider specializing in open-source software and technology strategies for archives and libraries. We sell our time to develop, enhance, fix, install, integrate, host or provide training for free and open-source software. Any software or documentation that Artefactual creates as part of any of our technical services are released under free and open-source license. Artefactual has an established and well-respected reputation for promoting the use of open-source in the archives and library community as a way to reduce costs, facilitate collaboration, improve standards adoption, and raise professional capacity.

"Yes, we are giving away intellectual property but we are confident that we can stay ahead of the innovation curve to provide better value-added services around our technology platforms than other service providers (that might support the same platform) or vendors of proprietary solutions that operate in the same market. Therefore, as an open-source SME, we must continually be innovating or we go out of business. We must innovate to ensure that our core technology platform is competitive against the proprietary options and we must be on the leading edge of R&D to ensure that we are recognized thought leaders in our field and always in consideration for expert consulting contracts."

--Peter Van Garderen. President, Artefactual Systems. "Support Open-Source Business Models to Drive Innovation" Canada's Digital Economy Consultation.