See also: last week's Commerce page.

Linux and business

All of e-speak is being released under the GPL and LGPL. Not only is HP using a free software license, but it has picked a standard one, resisting the temptation to create yet another company-specific license. HP has also used the sourceXchange to get some additional development work done on e-speak. This is certainly an interesting package, and it could well become part of the free software-based network of the future.

More information on e-speak - and downloads - can be had at e-speak.net.

A wearable Linux system. Xybernaut has announced that its "MA IV" system is available running Linux. These systems are intended primarily for industrial applications - situations where access is required to databases or control systems by somebody who is on their feet and on the move. Consider an aircraft technician, for example, who can now carry the full set of plans while working. Of course, such a system could also be a nice way of staying in touch at Linux trade shows...

Linuxcare on the move. Linuxcare has unleashed a flurry of press releases. Topics include: new members of the board of directors (John Drew, Paul Vias, and Ernest von Simson); new customers (including Enlighten software, Maxspeed, NETmachines, On Channel, ...); a new CFO (Christian Paul); providing support for Amdahl's Linux customers; agreements with Informix (support for Informix engineers); addition of new applications to their support roster (Apache, Sendmail, Samba, and a bunch of commercial ones); acquisition of the Puffin Group; expansion of professional service offerings (porting, drivers, custom distributions, security audits, open source strategy, network management, performance, clustering, and web and email servers); completion of a $32M financing round; and an overall release summarizing the above.

The Linux Capital Group. Bruce Perens sent us a note pointing out his letter to the free software community on the web page of his new employer: the Linux Capital Group. This group seeks to become an "incubator" for new free software businesses by investing in them at an early stage. Their first project is "Progeny Linux," a commercial adaptation of the Debian distribution being done by Ian Murdock.

We hope to have a more in-depth look at the Linux Capital Group next week. Meanwhile, those who are interested in Progeny may want to have a look at at Ian's description of the project which was posted to the Debian development list.

It's official - distributors join Trillian. The Trillian project (which is working to port Linux to Intel's IA-64 (a.k.a. "Itanium", a.k.a. "Merced") processor) has announced that Caldera, Red Hat, SuSE and TurboLinux have joined up.

Adobe moves toward Linux. They are kicking and screaming every step of the way, but Adobe is slowly moving toward Linux. Today Adobe has announced that Acrobat Distiller will be available for Linux in the first quarter of 2000. And for those who have been waiting (a long time!) for FrameMaker, there is a beta available for download now.

Applix acquires Cosource.com. Just days after its official launch, Cosource.com has been acquired by Applix. Cosource founder Bernie Thompson is now the president of Applix's Linux division... (Cosource.com was also covered in last week's LWN weekly edition).

SGI's kernel enhancements. SGI has put out this press release pointing out a number of kernel performance and functionality enhancements that it has contributed over the last few months. Many of these have been covered in the LWN kernel section as they have happened (see last week's issue, if you haven't already, for a description of the SGI-contributed NUMA patches).

We wanna be a Linux company too! Investors recently have been jumping on just about any stock that seems in any way related to Linux. The movements of the stocks listed on the LWN Linux Stocks Page make that quite clear. Some stocks we haven't listed also were quite active; perhaps one of the most interesting examples is that of Perle Specialix. This company makes serial I/O boards; it happened to announce the existence of Linux drivers at just the right time. That announcement, along with, perhaps, a fortuitous stock symbol (PERL), led to a quadrupling in Perle's stock price.

A number of other companies were quick to pick up on this, and have issued press releases trying to get themselves associated with Linux. Here, for your amusement, is a selection of press releases from the "we wanna be Linux companies too!" hall of fame:

• ClickHouse.com Online Inc. Finds Success with LINUX and Open Source Focus to Ad Network. Yes, their web server is a Linux box, which justifies their mentioning VA Linux, Red Hat, and Corel in this release.

• WCollect.com Announces Linux as Their Official Operating System. These people, being "the e-commerce site specializing in exclusive authenticated entertainment collectibles, sports memorabilia and fine art," also run their web server on Linux.

• With Linux Members on Board, PhotoLoft.com Posts Membership Gains; World's Only Linux-Compatible Photo-Sharing Web Site Continues Strong Growth. This company actually claims to have something for Linux in development. There is no indication, however, of just who - or what - the "Linux members" they have "on board" are.

• Silicon Valley Research Software Achieves Two Fold Performance Increase Running On Linux. They actually tried out their software on Linux, and found that it ran faster than under Solaris - on completely different hardware.

• Pacific WebWorks Announces Development Structure On The Linux Operating System. Yep, they also want the world to know they use Linux...

Press Releases:

Products for Linux/Open Source Products:
• Akopia announced Tallyman, open source end-to-end e-commerce software, is now available for free download.

• Alpha Data Parallel Systems (a UK company) announced the "Alpha Node," a four-processor system based on the Alpha processor and crammed into a 2U rack mount box. It is intended to be used in the building of Beowulf clusters.

• Bitstream announced that it is developing a new font server for Linux; Corel then chimed in with an announcement that it will be using the new font server in its products. This is, of course, a proprietary product...

• Franklin Telecom announced the availability of a T1 card with an open source driver.

• Icon Laboratories announced Envoy for Linux, a ported version of ISI's Envoy SNMP libraries.

• InterNetivity Inc. announced its data analysis and reporting application, dbProbe for Linux.

• Kasten Chase Applied Research Limited announced the availability of Linux support for its VersaPath e-business Internet connectivity solution.

• Learn2.com announced that it has expanded its courseware offerings to include the Linux market.

• Magic Software Enterprises announced the release of its "Enterprise Edition v8" for Linux. "Magic's Enterprise Edition v.8, which last year received DBMS Magazine's Readers' Choice Award as the top application development tool on the market, is the only application development technology for the enterprise that offers a uniform paradigm and integrated development environment for both client/server and web computing."

• Microtest Inc. introduced LinuxZerver a new Linux-based application delivery platform.

• Orasoft announced the official stable release of the Oracle Applications for Linux suite.

• P-STAT, Inc. announced a free version of the P-STAT software for Intel PCs running Linux. The P-STAT software combines data and file management, data entry and editing with report writing and statistical procedures.

• Pacific Softworks Inc. announced FUSION for Linux, an integrated suite of Internet communication software development tools and libraries targeted at software engineers developing commercial applications on the Linux operating system.

• Performance Technologies, Inc. announced that it has added Linux operating system support to its family of Wide Area Networking protocol software offerings.

• PhotoLoft.com announced CompuPic, a client side application to transfer their photos from the Linux desktop to the PhotoLoft.com online photo sharing platform.

• PIKT, Problem Informant/Killer Tool, version 1.8.0 has been released. PIKT is distributed under the GNU General Public License.

• R3vis Corporation announced the launch of OpenRM, a "scene graph programming interface" which will be available under an open source license.

• SoftCare EC.com Inc. announced the release of its Linux version of the OpenEC Business Relationship Management Software, and TradeLink EDI Management products.

• TurboLinux announced that it is releasing its Linux-SNA networking code as open source. They have also hired Jay Schulist, who wrote the original SNA code for Linux.

• Valu-net Corporation launched its CPAC e-commerce platform for Linux. CPAC processes secure transactions in multiple currencies.

  Products using Linux:

• HolonTech announced "clustering technologies" which allow the creation of Beowulf-type clusters using Cobalt Networks server appliances.

• RadiSys Corp. announced Linux support and availability for its EPC-204, an Intel Mobile Pentium II processor-based CompactPCI CPU designed for telephony applications.

• Rocca Resources and SiegeSoft Systems announced the upcoming release of SiegePipe, the second service in their suite of privacy products.

• Smallworldwide plc announced the first major revision of Smallworld 3, a spatial resource planning tool using Oracle databases and the Linux operating system.

• Terian Technologies (a division of Jones Business Systems) announced that it is giving away computers with Red Hat installed to VARs and resellers who are willing to receive commercial messages.

• Unique Broadband Systems, Inc. announced that it has commenced the development of RealLinux; a real-time Linux-based operating system.

  Java Products:

• Inovie Software, Inc. announced TeamCenter 3.0.

• Inprise Corporation announced the JBuilder 3 Foundation.

• Inprise also announced that there have been nearly 100,000 downloads of its "JBuilder 3 Foundation Edition" since it was made available - "more than double the number of downloads of the Linux version than of the Windows version of the product."

• NetObjects, Inc. announced NetObjects Authoring Server for Java Server Pages.

• O'Reilly & Associates a new edition of "Java in a Nutshell" by David Flanagan.

• Track Data Corporation announced that it plans to offer a java-based version of its myTrack online trading and market data system compatible with Linux, Unix, Mac and Solaris operating systems.

  Products with Linux versions:

• 1MAGE Software, Inc. announced the availability of its core imaging products on Linux.

• AuthentiDate.com (BitWise Designs) announced that it is in the beta development stage of a software developer kit (SDK) that will give developers a complete set of stamping and account maintenance tools to interact with the Internet based AuthentiDate.com service. It's compatible with Red Hat Linux.

• Binary Evolution, Inc. announced the release of VelociGen 2.0, an upgrade to their application server.

• Cambex Corporation announced Linux support for its FibreQuik PC1000 PCI-to-Fibre Channel host bus adapters.

• CBQ, Inc. announced that it is in the beta development stage of its PriorityCash.com Internet payment service that will offer Linux compatibility.

• Centura Software Corporation announced the latest release of its cross-platform Velocis Database Server version 3.0.

• Classics International Entertainment, Inc. announced that CIE has developed a comprehensive assortment of Linux software products comprised of advanced data compression tools.

• DataDirect Networks Inc. introduced the EV-800, a new SAN-ready Fibre Channel RAID system.

• Datalink.net, Inc. announced that it is expanding its XpressLink Application Server technology to support the Linux operating system.

• Datametrics Systems Corporation announced its new VisualPulse product.

• Datametrics Systems Corporation announced that it has added support for Linux to its VisualRoute Internet product.

• DataMirror Corporation announced free licencing of its Transformation Server for Linux.

• Dataram Corporation announced the availability of memory for the SGI 1000 server family. This includes the SGI 1400L Linux server.

• HyperFeed Technologies, Inc. announced the availability of its HyperFeed Software Development Kit for Linux.

• InfoInterActive Inc. announced Internet Call Manager for Linux along with a comprehensive strategy to involve Linux developers in the creation of future services.

• Iwill USA Corp. announced the Slocket II, a Socket 370 to Slot 1 converter card designed to support second generation Intel Coppermine (FC-PGA) processors, and first generation Socket 370 and Point Grid Array (PGA) processors.

• JAWS Technologies Inc. announced a commercial end-to-end enterprise security solution for the Linux operating system.

• LINMOR Technologies announced that its entire network management product line has been ported to the LINUX operating system.

• Merlin Software Technologies Inc. announced PerfectBACKUP+ for Linux.

• OMNIS Technology Corp. announced details of the increased web functionality in the latest version of its popular Rapid Application Development tool: OMNIS Studio.

• Pivot Technologies, Inc. announced they now provide monitoring services to those companies running Linux 2.X (Red Hat 5.1+).

• Spectra Logic Corp. announced Quick Restore support for the full line of Spectra Logic automated tape libraries.

• Speedware announced Linux servers can access to the company's Autobahn II technology.

• TECSYS Inc. announced the commercial availability of its e-commerce/order fulfillment product line on the Linux Operating System.

• Verisity Ltd. announced SureLint, next-generation static design verification software to analyze and debug complex designs.

• Vertel announced the release of e*ORB, a commercial Object Request Broker (ORB) optimized specifically for the telecommunications industry.

• Viewgraphics announced DTVxstream, a high performance MPEG-2 transport stream server for digital broadcast applications.

• VirtualSellers.com Inc. announced the release of TAME version 4.0, a Linux compatible programming language.

• WebTrends Corporation released WebTrends Security Analyzer v3.0.

• WebVision announced JOBtropolis, a recruitment management application designed to simplify, streamline and automate the online recruiting process.

• Workstation Solutions announced Quick Restore 2.6, a network backup system for Red Hat Linux servers and clients.

• Xenos Group announced Linux operating system support for its Documorph and transform product families.

  Partnerships, Investments and Acquisitions:

• Computone Corporation announced that SuSE and Red Hat are including its driver for its IntelliPort serial cards.

• Etnus, a supplier of parallel application debuggers for the UNIX market, announced TotalView support for Kuck & Associates Guide OpenMP cross-platform compilers on Compaq, IBM, SGI, Sun, and Intel/Linux platforms.

• KeyLink Systems announced it has signed an agreement to become a value-added Red Hat distributor.

• Lineo announced that Arriba!, Viosoft's Integrated Development Environment (IDE), will ship as part of the Lineo Embedix SDK, an embedded Linux development kit.

• LinuxIT, a distributer of Linux Software in the UK, announced a Distribution Partner agreement with Informix Software.

• Lutris Technologies announced the receipt of $10 million in funding from Chase Capital Partners and Chase H&Q. The company plans to use the funding to build on the acceptance Enhydra has received in the Open Source community and make it the de facto standard Java/XML application server for Internet applications.

• National Computer Systems, Inc. announced that through its Virtual University Enterprises IT testing service, it has contracted with Informix Software, Inc. and Linux Professional Institute, Inc. to begin test delivery of their certification exams.

• Rebel.com Inc. and LINMOR Technologies announced that they are working together on a hardware-software network management system solution.

• Red Hat and HP have announced a joint sales initiative, which consists, mainly, of Red Hat promoting and selling HP's OpenMail system.

• Stormix Technologies, Inc. announced an agreement with PowerQuest Corporation to include the PowerQuest Linux Prep Tool with the Stormix product Storm Linux 2000.

• TurboLinux announced it is becoming a platinum sponsor of the Linux Professional Institute.

• UniComp, Inc. announced that its subsidiary, Unibol, will offer a bridge from IBM midrange servers to Linux.

• Veritas Software Corporation announced that its NetBackup client is shipping with Red Hat 6.1 Deluxe.

• Webb Interactive Services, Inc. announced JabberIM, an instant messaging service built in partnership with the Jabber.org XML-based, open-source movement. JabberIM is included in Corel's application platform, CorelCity.com; in addition to being embedded within Corel's new Linux Desktop OS.

  Other:

• Aceweb Internet announced it has recently upgraded and redesigned its Linux software archive, LinuxArchives.com.

• Cobalt Networks, Inc. unveiled the RaQ 3J family of products for Japan.

• Dunn Computer Corporation announced that it has shipped 41 Linux-based servers to the Department of Defense.

• e-MedSoft.com announced that it has launched what it believes to be one of the first Linux-based Web-native comprehensive health-care management systems.

• GameCom, Inc. announced that it has completed its Linux installation into its 'Net GameLink interactive entertainment system.

• Hewlett-Packard Company announced a new on-line hub which includes pay-per-incident Linux support.

• The LinuxWorld Expo has put out this press release trying to get the attention of people watching the VA Linux IPO. "LinuxWorld Conference & Expo At Epicenter as Linux Industry Takes Wall Street by Storm; Recent IPOs Indicate Trend Towards World-Wide Acceptance"

• M&A West, Inc. announced its LinuxFunding.com site. They are evidently on the prowl for promising Linux companies to invest in.

• Macmillan Computer Publishing announced "Special Edition Using Caldera OpenLinux" by Allen Smart et al.

• Mission Critical Linux announced its "Secure Service Technology" for enterprise Linux support.

• Progressive Systems, Inc. announced the free giveaway of a personal-use Linux version of its Phoenix Adaptive Firewall. In addition, Progressive Systems is giving away unlimited session copies of the software to Linux user groups.

• ProsoftTraining.com announced the worldwide availability of its Linux training and certification offerings. Support for the Linux Professional Institute was also announced.

• Red Hat announced its "reseller starter kit." "The Red Hat Reseller Starter Kit enables the reseller to join the first level of the company's channel program and includes the necessary products to get the reseller up and running. Red Hat Reseller Starter Kits have pricing options available from $500 to $5,000. For resellers who prefer a more significant partnership with Red Hat, there are three starter kits tailored to their businesses; System Builder Starter Kit, System Integrator Starter Kit and Application Provider Starter Kit. Resellers who purchase one of these kits join the second level of the program and are named a Red Hat Certified Reseller."

• Red Hat, Inc. announced that Mark White has been named general manager of Red Hat Asia-Pacific.

• Specialized Systems Consultants, Inc. (SSC) and Be, Incorporated announced the launch of Be Magazine.

• TechRepublic announced the expansion of its TechProGuild editorial team to include Chris Dinsmore, a Linux expert in security systems.

• Wave Technologies announced that a "tremendous amount of activity in the Linux marketplace" has inspired it to expand its Linux training activities.

• WireSpeed announced its "embedded Linux service," which, as far as can be determined from the press release, consists of helping companies use a stripped-down version of the Red Hat distribution in embedded settings.

• Worldwide Online announced the launch of its new Linux Development Division.

• XTERRAgear.com, an online sportswear retailer, has chosen the newly released Linux version of WebCatalog from Smith Micro Software, Inc.'s Internet Solutions Division to create an online catalog of athletic sportswear.

• Zap.Com Corp. announced that it has added a "Linux Resources" channel to "The Zap 200 Best Internet Sites" list.

Section Editor: Jon Corbet.

Next: Linux in the news