www.skygate.co.uk
LINUX NOW POISED FOR DESKTOP
BREAKTHROUGH, SAYS SKYGATE

Linux is now poised to become a viable and cost-effective alternative for
nearly all desktop tasks, says Internet/ecommerce security consultants
Skygate Technology.

"Linux has always been seen as a server operating system," says Skygate
director Pete Chown. "It has achieved substantial success with around a 25
per cent market share. On the desktop though it has been a different story,
with most estimates giving Linux around 2 to 3 per cent. This could be due
to change next year though, because three important open source projects
are nearing completion"

"The first of these is the Mozilla web browser, due for a 1.0 release in
April. Mozilla.org was established in 1998 by Netscape. Current Mozilla
builds are usable for web browsing and in some respects they are better
than Internet Explorer; but they still have some annoying bugs".

Another development is Ximian's Evolution, an open source clone of
Microsoft Outlook. This is currently in its fifth beta release and the
final release is imminent.

The third element is Sun's planned release of version 6.0 of its free
StarOffice package in the spring. StarOffice has been designed to compete
directly with Microsoft Office and reviews of the beta have been very
positive".

"This is an exciting time to be in the Linux community," says Chown. "The
Gnome and KDE have already given Linux a Windows look and feel. Now, these
three new projects will make Linux a viable alternative for nearly all
desktop tasks. The low price of Linux and Microsoft's licensing changes
might well do the rest".

Based in south London, Skygate Technology is one of the UK's leading
independent consultancies in cryptography, security, ecommerce and the
Internet. The company provides international organisations with strategic
consultancy and software development capabilities. Skygate has a
well-earned reputation for high-quality, advanced software engineering and
deployment.

In addition to its consultancy, Skygate has developed a number of software
products that address the issues of its expertise areas. These include
email privacy and copyright protection solutions. The company has also been
responsible for many successful bespoke application developments in key
areas of new technology. More on this story - and Skygate Technology - at
www.skygate.co.uk

Press information from:
Paul Harrington/Pete Chown
Skygate Technology
Tel: 020 8542 7856
E-mail: pr@skygate.co.uk

Or:
John Bradshaw
JBPR
Tel: 01483 838331
E-mail: john.bradshaw@ntlworld.com