There’s a lot of free software out there, but actually identifying programs that will meet your needs can be difficult and time-consuming.

Worse yet, some software may include spyware that compromises the security of your organization’s network.

Below are a few carefully selected applications:

7-Zip

7-Zip is a utility to compress and uncompress files and supports a variety of formats.

Company or Source: Igor Pavlov

Platform:

• Windows

Requirement(s): Windows 98/Me/2000/XP/Vista/7

Download it here

FileZilla

Filezilla is a fast and compact file transfer protocol (FTP) client and server application.

Company or Source: FileZilla

Platform:

• Windows
• Mac
• Linux

Requirement(s): Windows XP/Vista; Mac OS X; for full system requirements, see this page.

Download it here

ImgBurn

ImgBurn is a free utility to burn image files (ISOs) to a CD/DVD or create an image file to be burnt later.

Company or Source: ImgBurn

Platform:

• Windows

Requirement(s): Windows 9x/ME/NT/2000/XP/2003/Vista/7

Download it here

OpenOffice.org

OpenOffice.org is an open-source, multiplatform, multilingual office suite compatible with all other major office suites. The product is free to download, use, and distribute.

Company or Source: OpenOffice.org

Platform:

• Windows
• Mac
• Linux

Requirement(s): Windows 2000/XP/2003/Vista/7; Mac OS X

Download it here

Firefox

Firefox is a free web browser for many platforms.

Company or Source: Mozilla Foundation

Platform:

• Windows
• Mac
• Linux
• Android

Requirement(s): Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7; Mac OS X 10.5 and later; Linux; mobile app available for Android.

Download it here

Skype

Skype is a program that lets users talk and exchange instant messages over the internet.

Evernote

Evernote is note-taking and productivity software.

Company or Source: Evernote

Platform:

• Windows
• Mac
• Linux
• Mobile

Requirement(s): Compatible with most operating systems; mobile apps available for iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Blackberry, and other devices.

Download it here