See also: last week's Commerce page.

Linux and business

• Network Monitoring for Clusters (San Mehat)
• Managing Beowulf Clusters (David Spector)
• Parametric Perspectives (Karlo Copp)
• Distributed Supercomputing for the Grid (Paul Messina)

VA has also announced its new "Linux Without Limits" branding campaign, and a partnership with HP to develop printing solutions that run under Linux.

Red Hat to bundle Computer Associates' software. Red Hat and Computer Associates have announced a deal wherein Red Hat will bundle Computer Associates' "enterprise management" software in the Red Hat Enterprise Edition. Red Hat's Enterprise Edition is getting to be a fairly large product; other items like IBM's Java implementation and the CCVS credit card processing system are ending up there. This edition - which is getting pretty far from the "pure open source" roots - is clearly intended to enable Red Hat to raise the price of the distribution. It makes sense; many corporate customers are willing to pay well above $40 for an operating system, especially if they get some nice added goodies with it.

Collab.Net to build e-speak site. Collab.Net has announced that it has an agreement with HP to build and operate the open source development infrastructure for HP's e-speak system. The infrastructure includes a lot of the usual stuff: a CVS repository, BugZilla, mailing lists, etc. In other words, it looks an awful lot like Collab.Net is setting itself up as a sort of SourceForge for larger, paying customers. They will likely do well; as corporations get into open source development, they will need a lot of help setting up and managing the process.

Collab.Net has also announced the hiring of a few new managers - including Frank Hecker as "Systems Engineering Manager." SuSE announces new US management team. SuSE has announced a restructuring of its management team in the US, following the departure of Marc Torres.

Linsight appoints co-director. Dave Whitinger's Linsight effort has announced the appointment of E.J. Wells as co-director.

(Legal) DVD playback for Linux will soon be available, according to this announcement from Sigma Designs. Sigma is evidently about to introduce the new "NetStream 2000" card which will include a (closed source) Linux driver. No word on just when... There is a newsgroup (REALmagic.linux) on news.sigmadesigns.com for those who want to follow the topic. (Thanks to David Decotigny).

eLinux.com to debut. Creative Computers has announced the upcoming launch of its eLinux.com site, which "will provide the Linux community with a single source for products, news, discussion groups, services, support and information."

Wave Technologies announces Linux exams. Wave Technologies has announced a set of Linux professional certification exams. These are, of course, the exams inherited from Wave's recent acquisition of SAIR.

MyHelpDesk.com announces Linux help directories MyHelpDesk.com has announced a set of Linux help directories covering 20 distributions.

Linux wannabe press release of the week. This week's Linux wannabe press release comes from Vitamins.com. We now know that "Vitamins.com has further distinguished itself in the competitive Internet health industry race by being one of the first to integrate the Linux Operating System, produced by Red Hat, the leading developer and provider of open source software solutions." They also inform the world that "All software except Oracle is Freeware" and "Language is written in Perl, and Java applets." Are we impressed yet?

It is interesting that a number of these releases not only name Red Hat, but identify it as "the leading developer and provider of open source software solutions." The chances of Vitamins.com deciding by itself to include such a phrase in a press release seem fairly small...

Section Editor: Jon Corbet.

Press Releases:

Open Souce Products:
• iEntertainment has announced its intent to develop a new multiplayer role-playing game - called "The Eternal City 3D" - "using an open-source game engine."

• Linuxcare has announced that it will announce a "new open source model" at LinuxWorld.

• SpellCaster Telecommunications Inc. announced it is releasing the source code for its Babylon software. Babylon provides point-to-point remote access to and from Linux systems using PPP(ii).

  Commercial Products for Linux:

• ALICOM announced the Linux Enterprise Messaging Server.

• Bidhit.com Inc., an online auctioneer, announced the initiation of its Linux Development Program.

• DICA Technologies, Inc. announced the availability of DICAMail 5000, a modular technology that secures e-mail communications between multiple sites.

• Hummingbird has announced its "Enterprise Information Portal" product for Linux. It's not another web site; it's "a single point of access to all business-critical information and resources including structured and unstructured enterprise data." Pricing starts at $100,000.

• JetForm Corporation introduced JetForm Central for Linux, an electronic document output solution.

• Linux Stock News has announced that over 1,000 people have signed up for the service.

• Magic Software Enterprises announced its new Magic Enterprise Edition V.8 development environment for Linux.

• Qarbon.com announced the immediate availability of Viewlets.

• STS International announced that its new distribution, IntraLinux, was launched on January 22. IntraLinux is aimed specifically at network server applications. Pricing is not mentioned, but, given that the price includes training for the customer's staff, it's probably not $39.

• Tux Games announced pre-release prices for four upcoming Loki titles.

  Products Using Linux:

• K2 Design, Inc. announced that it would support site and application development using the Linux operating system.

• LAND-5 Corp. announced the Linux-based iCEbox StoragePod, a network attached solution offering up to 4.5TB of instant network RAID storage.

• RACER announced the introduction of the new RacerLX Series of desktops and servers based on the Linux Operating System.

  Products with Linux Versions:

• Asante Technologies, Inc. announced a comprehensive technical support system.

• BiTMICRO NETWORKS, Inc. announced the ATI35 E-Disk, an IDE/ATA solid state flash disk.

• Celo Communications announced the latest version of CeloCom Enterprise.

• Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. announced Check Point 2000, a new edition of its integrated software for comprehensive Internet security.

• Cognos announced its intention to port its software to the Linux operating system.

• Dell Computer Corporation announced the Dell PowerEdge 2450 server. It is slated to support Red Hat Linux 6.1 as of mid-February, 2000.

• Dell Computer Corporation announced the Dell PowerEdge 4400 server. It is slated to support Red Hat Linux 6.1 as of mid-February, 2000.

• HICOMP Software Systems GmbH announced the immediate availability of full support for Linux as a system platform for SAP R/3.

• Interwoven Inc. announced its intention to offer OpenDeploy, its Web content replication software, for the Linux operating system.

• Lantronix announced the availability of its free RTEL software utility with support for the Linux operating system.

• Manchester Equipment Co., Inc. entered its 28th year in business by announcing support for the Linux operating system.

• MERANT announced Egility Enterprise Extension solution for Red Hat Linux now has the MERANT Micro Focus Object COBOL Developer Suite (OCDS) for Linux.

• This related press release announced that RIMS has successfully ported to the Linux platform using the MERANT Micro Focus OCDS for Linux.

• MetaCard Corporation announced MetaCard 2.3 for application development or multimedia authoring.

• Natural MicroSystems Corporation announced broad support for the Linux operating system.

• Network Engines, Inc. announced Network Engines' Internet Appliance Architecture, which allows any company to deploy and manage an affordable, scalable platform capable of handling large volumes of Web content reliably and efficiently.

• NUWAVE Technologies, Inc. announced the development of its imaging enhancement software for Linux.

• Phobos Corporation introduced its Xpress line of networking appliances, designed to improve the performance and availability of Web sites and e-commerce servers.

• Phoenix Technologies Ltd. announced that PhoenixBIOS will be used in Transmeta Caruso processor reference designs for a new category of Mobile Internet Computers.

• Rave Computer Association, Inc. announced the UltraAXmp. Although it is primarily built for Sun Solaris, it is also offered with Red Hat Linux 6.1.

• RiverSoft announced i3philOSophy, a network management operating system.

• Sun Microsystems, Inc. announced StarOffice NOW, a program designed for partners and other third parties interested in providing StarOffice software, to their subscribers, customers or other end users.

• Telamon Inc. announced that it has released Version 5.0 for TelAlert, the company's solution for critical message delivery to and from the field.

  Partnerships, Investments and Acquisitions:

• Alpha Processor, Inc. announced the addition of 6 new members to its strategic partner program. Dirig Software, Inc., Linuxcare, Inc., Covalent, MandrakeSoft, Inc., PolyServe, Inc. and Stalker Software, Inc.

• ALPNET has announced that it has localized Red Hat Linux for the German, French, and Japanese markets.

• ApplianceWare Inc. announced a co-marketing alliance with Maxspeed Corporation to combine ApplianceWare's Linux-based network-attached storage server appliances with Maxspeed's best-in-class Linux desktop devices.

• Cobalt Networks and INTERSHOP Communications, Inc. announced a joint partnership to offer Intershop RaQ, the first Intershop e-commerce appliance on the Linux operating system.

• EBIZ Enterprises Inc. announced that they have entered into an agreement with CNET that allows TheLinuxStore.com to market its Linux-based products and services through the Auctions, Store and Shopper sections of the recently launched CNET Linux Center.

• eSoft Inc. announced an agreement with Bell Micro - Future Tech International to offer full support and distribution of the TEAM Internet product line throughout the Caribbean, Mexico and Central and South America.

• Government Technology Services, Inc. and Red Hat announced that they have finalized an agreement permitting GTSI to market and sell Red Hat Linux operating system to the federal government. In addition to the operating system, GTSI also intends to offer the government a full range of Red Hat support services.

• internet.com announced that it has acquired JustLinux.com, a portal dedicated to Linux and open source development.

• KeyLink Systems and IBM announced new, full-service business partner solution offerings featuring the Red Hat Linux operating system.

• Linuxcare announced an agreement with Compaq Computer Corporation to provide end-to-end support, professional services, and courseware to Compaq Solution Alliance partners worldwide.

• NETmachines, Inc. announced a strategic alliance with Cybernet Systems Corporation.

• Planet Intra announced that it has joined the IBM Netfinity ServerProven program.

• Red Hat, Inc. announced that Amerada Hess has chosen Red Hat Linux to run a supercomputing cluster in its Exploration Department.

• S3 Inc. announced that it has partnered with Transmeta Corporation on the design and production of forthcoming Internet devices powered by Transmeta's Crusoe processor.

• Service911.com announced the acquisition of Learnlots.com. Learnlots.com is the creator of "how-to" computing tutorials, including "Managing Your Linux System".

• VA Linux Systems has announced a partnership with Hewlett-Packard to develop printing solutions that run under Linux.

  Financial Results:

• Applix, Inc. reported increased revenues and it is exploring strategic growth options for its Linux Division.

• Computer Associates International, Inc. reported record financial results for its third fiscal quarter.

• eSoft Inc. reported its financial results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 1999.

• internet.com reported results for the quarter ended December 31, 1999.

• Pervasive Software Inc. reported that revenues for the second fiscal quarter ended December 31, 1999 increased 15%.

• TiVo, Inc. announced financial results for the quarter and year ended December 31, 1999.

  Other:

• Eagle Wireless announced that it has received a purchase order for set-top box units, totaling $12.5 million from Urbana.ca Enterprises. The set-top boxes incorporate both the Linux operating system and Wavelet technology.

• IBM exec Dr. Irving Wladawsky-Berger will deliver his first Linux-industry keynote presentation at LinuxWorld.

• Here's a look at the companies that will be at LinuxWorld next week.

• OMNIS Technology Corporation announced that the company has applied for a listing on the NASDAQ SmallCap Market. They cite their recent move into the Linux open source market as one reason why they are ready for this move.

• ParaSoft announced their Director of Technology, Dr. Michael Aivazis, will be a speaker at LinuxWorld. His topic: "Configuring the Software Development Process on Linux."

• The nominees for Slashdot's 'beanie' awards have been announced. It's a long list, since several awards are being given out.

• TUCOWS.com Inc. announced that in three months the company has registered over 600 Registration Service Providers to its OpenSRS Domain Registration System.

• VERITAS Software Corporation disclosed its Linux Strategy and Roadmap, and open-source strategy.

Section Editor: Rebecca Sobol.

Next: Linux in the news