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Linux and Business


Transmeta files for IPO. Transmeta has put in its IPO filing. The full S-1 filing is available for those who wish to slog through it. Unfortunately we don't have a summary available yet. Hopefully by next week we'll have one ready for publication. In the meantime here are a few highlights:
The company plans to trade as TMTA; price and such still undetermined. They have managed to lose almost $120 million so far. Revenue in the first half of this year was all of $358,000. Nonetheless, they have over $100 million in the bank.

Linus Torvalds' name appears twice in the filing, as a way of showing the expertise Transmeta employs.

Some more information may be found in this News.com article. "Hypersecretive Transmeta has not released its chips to the public yet or even revealed a complete set of performance benchmarks. As a result, most analysts admit that they have not been able to evaluate the overall performance of the Crusoe family."

VA Linux and Caldera reported financial results. VA Linux Systems has reported its results for its fiscal 2000 year. The company brought in $120 million over the year, a nice increase over 1999's $18 million. The company is still losing money, of course, but less so than before.

Also in the announcement: "VA Linux estimates that SourceForge now hosts over 76 percent of the world's known Open Source software, with 8,000 software projects and over 53,000 registered users."

Caldera Systems has announced its third-quarter results. Revenue for the quarter was $1.2 million, up 9% from the year before. They turned in a net loss of $7.5 million in that time.

KDE Desktop is Show Favorite At Linuxworld Expo. The KDE Project has put out a press release proclaiming its election as "show favorite" in the desktop category. The PR also states that the fourth beta of KDE 2.0 comes out tomorrow.

Itanium News. SuSE has joined VA Linux Systems and Red Hat in announcing the availability of a free Itanium "compile farm" that may be used to port applications. There is also an IA-64 version of SuSE Linux 7.0 which is available for download.

Red Hat has also announced a new service called the "IA-64 JumpStart Program" which is aimed at helping developers get software working on the IA-64 processor. It includes training, support services, and an IA-64 compile farm which can be used to test things out.

Software releases. AbriaSoft has announced the release of its "Abria SQL Standard" product, which is a boxed distribution of MySQL. Apache, PHP, Perl, and some others have been thrown in for good measure, as has the O'Reilly MySQL book. It even comes with technical support. Price is $59.

Sun has announced the availability of a porting kit which can be used to make Linux device drivers work on Solaris (Intel) systems.

NeTraverse has announced the 2.0 release of its "Win4Lin" product, which allows running Windows applications under Linux.

Surveys and Studies. Here's the results (in German) of a study that examined every www.* host in the .de domain, trying to identify what system is running behind each. The result: Linux wins, with 44% of the systems identified. English text is available via babelfish. (Thanks to Lenz Grimmer).

Red Hat has put out a press release publicizing the latest IDC report, which finds that Red Hat had 52% of Linux server shipments worldwide.

Caldera and SCO announce 'Linux and UNIX Marriage'. Caldera and SCO's Server division have put out an announcement on some new initiatives which are presented as "the first steps along the path to a Linux and Unix marriage." These include the "Linux Kernel Personality" for UnixWare which appears to be an enhanced compatibility layer and which also got its own announcement. There is also a new set of service offerings.

Newtella Inc. formed around music sharing network software . A company called Newtella, which somehow plans to make money by supporting the use of Gnutella to share music files, has announced its existence.

Press Releases:

Open Source Products.
Unless specified, license is unverified.

  • Sybase has announced its intent to release its "Watcom" C, C++, and Fortran compilers under a (still unspecified) open source license.

  • X.Org (MENLO PARK, CA) announced the release of X11R6.5.1, available for download on August 25.

Commercial Products for Linux.

  • AbleSolutions Corporation (VANCOUVER, Wash.) announced the release of Linux and Solaris compatible editions of AuctionBuilder 1.0.

  • Dialogic, a subsidiary of Intel, announced the availability of its Linux application development kit.

  • Digi International (MINNEAPOLIS) announced that Linux drivers are now available for its EtherLite line of network serial concentrators.

  • Enhanced Software Technologies, Inc. (MILPITAS, Calif.) announced that its Backup and Restore Utility, BRU 16.0, supports Panasonic's 4.7GB DVD-RAM drive in Linux environments.

  • Guardian Digital has announced the availability of its "Linux Lockbox." The Lockbox is an "e-business server" system with an emphasis on high security. Guardian Digital has created a new distribution called "EnGarde" for this purpose; they also bundle AllCommerce from OpenSales.

  • Isogon (NEW YORK) announced its support for IBM's pricing policy for the S/390 Integrated Facility for Linux.

  • LightWork Design Ltd (SHEFFIELD, UK) announced that its photorealistic rendering product, LightWorks, is now available on the Linux operating system.

  • Matrox Graphics Inc. (MONTREAL, CANADA) announced Linux support for its single-slot DualHead cards. The beta Linux XFree86 driver is now available for download from the Matrox website.

  • Mentor Graphics Corporation (WILSONVILLE, Ore.) announced the availability and immediate release of the entire IC Station suite of products on the Red Hat Linux platform.

  • Oasis Technology (TORONTO, Ontario) announced that it will now offer its ePayment technology on the Linux operating system.

  • OpenHardware.net announced availability of design data for a SIMM-sized 10BaseT Ethernet board. The tiny Ethernet interface board is meant to be used with the EZ328SIMM, a SIMM-sized single-board computer that contains a Motorola MC68EZ328 CPU and is supported by the current uClinux embedded Linux distribution.

  • Proven Software, Inc. announced the release of a new Inventory and Point of Sale module for Proven CHOICE Accounting, business accounting software for Linux.

  • Sanchez Computer Associates Inc. (MALVERN, Pa.) announced the company has completed a port of its PROFILE/Anyware enterprise banking system to Linux.

Products Using Linux.

  • Dialtone Internet, Inc. (FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla.), provider of Linux hosting solutions, announced the addition of Cobalt Networks' Intershop Commerce RaQ to its product line.

  • Extended Systems (BOISE, Idaho) announced that the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) has placed Version 1.1 of Linux-based XTNDAccess Blue SDK on the Bluetooth Qualified Product List (BQPL).

Products with Linux Versions.

  • Aestiva has a piece about its Aestiva HTML/OS platform.

  • Alliance Systems, Inc. (PLANO, Texas) introduced the I-Series 5000 open communications platform.

  • American ANKO (SANTA FE SPRINGS, Calif.) announced the availability of a sound-based vibration mouse, AVB's VMouse.

  • BiTMICRO NETWORKS (FREMONT, Calif.) introduced the E-Disk ATE25, 4.3 GBytes of flash storage devices in a 2.5-inch form factor.

  • Cleanscape Software International (SAN JOSE, Calif.) announced an upgrade to Cleanscape XTC-1750A, a C programming language cross-development environment for embedded systems using the MIL-STD-1750A processor.

  • Expertcity.com (SANTA BARBARA, Calif.) announced the launch of Expertcity2.0, which will enable live global support solutions.

  • GoAhead Software (BELLEVUE, Wash.) announced its second-generation product, GoAhead SelfReliant, a cross-platform solution.

  • ICS Advent (SAN DIEGO) introduced Aviant, a new family of advanced single board computers (SBCs) based on Intel processors and chip sets.

  • Micromuse Inc. (SAN FRANCISCO) announced the availability of Netcool/Firewall version 2.0.

  • Net Technologies, Inc. (NEW YORK) announced the release of DoTell Interactive version 2.0, a platform for voice-content creation, management, and distribution.

  • Phobos Corporation (SALT LAKE CITY) announced shipment of the IN-Boost SSL, a network interface card that completely offloads the burden of Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption/decryption processing from secure web servers.

  • Strategic Concepts, Inc. (BENTONVILLE, Ark.) announced that its Strategy5 Transportation Software now interfaces with Inter-Tax.

  • talentsoft, Inc. (MINNEAPOLIS) announced that its Web+ and Web+Shop software will be bundled with Compaq's 1U rack mountable Proliant server and the Alpha workgroup server DS10 and DS20e.

  • Technauts (CARY, N.C.) announced the availability of its eServer software for Intel's next-generation Communications Appliance Platforms. OEMs can run it pre-packaged with Red Hat Linux or install an operating system of their choice.

  • WebManage Technologies, Inc. (CHELMSFORD, Mass.) announced Service Level Reporter software, for Web management.

Java Products.

  • Inprise/Borland announced that it will port its Borland JBuilder, Inprise Application Server, VisiBroker for Java and JDataStore for platforms based on the Intel Itanium processor; including the Red Hat Linux 64 bit operating system.

  • The NQL Internet division of AlphaServ.com (SANTA ANA, Calif.) unveiled the development roadmap for its Network Query Language, adding Linux support.

Books & Training.

  • O'Reilly has announced the release of the third edition of its classic Linux in a Nutshell. It includes a great deal of new material, including discussions of KDE and GNOME, and a section on the Debian package manager.

  • SGI has announced a course in building Beowulf clusters. It lasts three days, and appears to cover a wide range of topics from interconnects through to parallel programming. The one scheduled offering at this point is September 11 to 13 in Maryland.

Partnerships.

  • AdTools, Inc. (NEW YORK) announced that it is working with SGI to enhance awareness of SGI and Linux in Europe.

  • eLinux (TORRANCE, Calif.) and TeamLinux Corporation announced the launch of a joint initiative to provide professional services.

  • Enhanced Software Technologies, Inc. (PHOENIX) announced a broad range of bundled backup solutions available exclusively through LinuxMall.com.

  • Informix Corporation (MENLO PARK, Calif.) announced that the Informix Dynamic Server.2000 (IDS.2000) database engine running with SuSE Linux on Compaq Computer Corporation Alpha processor is now available for customer shipments.

  • LinuxOne Korea will resell Dot Hill Systems Corp.'s SANnet products as part of its line of complete Linux solutions.

  • MSC Software, a provider of simulation software, has announced a partnership with HP to start selling Linux cluster systems built with HP workstations.

  • Natural MicroSystems (SAN JOSE, Calif.) announced that it has become a member of the LynuxWorks Synergy Partners Program and that LynuxWorks has become an NMS Alliance Partner.

  • Red Hat, Inc. (RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C.) announced a strategic agreement with CrosStor (SOUTH PLAINFIELD, N.J.) to port CrosStor NAS and eCos, network-attached storage software, to Red Hat Linux.

  • SuSE Linux AG (HANOVER, Germany) and Tech Soft America (ALAMEDA, Calif.) announced an agreement to freely distribute TSA's HOOPS 3D Application Framework (HOOPS/3dAF) with SuSE's Linux Operating System.

Investments and Acquisitions.

  • CollabNet has announced the acquisition of Alphanumerica, a web services firm. Alphanumerica has been a participant in the Mozilla project, as well as the sponsor of the first two Mozilla developer meetings.

  • Lutrix Technologies has announced the receipt of equity investments from Compaq, NEC, and Deutsche Bank Alex. Brown. Lutris is the developer of the open source Enhydra application server.

  • UserFriendly has been acquired by a company called Vast, according to this announcement. The deal was done for about $4.6 million in stock.

Financial Results.

  • Hewlett-Packard Company (PALO ALTO, Calif.) reported 15 percent revenue growth in its third fiscal quarter, ended July 31, 2000.

Linux At Work.

  • IntraLinux, Inc. (SAN RAMON, Calif.) announced that it has been awarded a Master Services Agreement (MSA) contract with the State of California for systems integration, project management, system design and engineering and project oversight services for information technology.

Other.

  • The Linux development community and open source community elected David Sugar as their representative to participate on the International Softswitch Consortium (ISC). Vovida Networks sponsored the open election and has contributed the yearly ISC membership fee, travel and lodging for a member of the Linux development/open source community to participate on the ISC.

  • e-smith, inc. (BOSTON) announced that the e-smith Linux server distribution earned the editor's choice award from Australian Personal Computer Magazine.

  • Lineo, Inc. (BRISBANE, Australia) announced the establishment of Lineo Australia Pty Ltd in Brisbane. This office is the base for Lineo's Integrated Products Group, formerly operated as Moreton Bay Ventures, a company which Lineo acquired in May.

  • Open Source pioneers Michael Tiemann and Miguel de Icaza have made charitable contributions to the Bonobo Protection Fund, a charity administered by the Georgia State University Foundation, Inc., a 501 (c) 3 charity. Other major Open Source figures have also committed to donate to the fund. The bonobo is a rare and endangered primate.

Section Editor: Rebecca Sobol.


August 24, 2000

 

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