If you are considering using the latest  version of Quantum GIS then you may be interested in a two day introductory course being run by JPS Services.  The course is taking place in Liverpool at the Foresight Centre which is  conveniently situated within the University of Liverpool on Thursday and Friday the 11th and 12th of October 2012.  

In the distant past only the deepest pockets could afford GIS functionality.  Prior to the launch of the personal computer budgets for GIS systems running on IBM mainframe computers often could easily exceed several million pounds.  Of course, these systems would be customised by a large team of programmers to meet the specific needs of big corporate organisations and would meet the requirements of a multi-user environment.  

After the personal computer became available the cost of implementing GIS applications  fell dramatically.  A number of academic institutions produced programs which could be run on the windows operating system.  These were then developed by former students into software solutions for a host of different organisations needing a diverse set of requirements.  Most of these GIS systems were developed as proprietary solutions with the authors retaining control over the source code of the solution.  The cost of these proprietary GIS software systems, which ran on personal computers, were significantly lower than their mainframe equivalents. However,  organisations still had to invest thousand pounds to acquire the software application. Cost has therefore always been an inhibiting factor in the wide spread adoption of GIS both for organisations and individuals.

If you would like to get up and running with the latest version of Quantum GIS then think about spending a couple of days with JPS Services in Liverpool at the Foresight Centre which is  conveniently situated within the University of Liverpool.  This introductory Quantum GIS course takes place on Thursday the 11th  and Friday the 12th October 2012. 
The course  assumes that you have little or no knowledge of GIS (Geographical Information Systems) but will anticipate that you have a basic understanding of the Microsoft Windows interface. During this two day course there will be many different exercises to get you quickly up and running with Quantum GIS. Together with power point demonstrations, this will give you a firm foundation in how GIS can benefit your organisation.