Linux heads to paint Sherwin-Williams

NEW YORK: Linux, the open source operating system that software developers

cherish for its shared computer code, is taking a hesitant step towards Main

Street, USA.

Sherwin-Williams Co., the No. 1 US paint maker, plans to convert its

computers and cash registers in more than 2,500 stores to the upstart operating

system in the next year and has hired International Business Machines Corp.'s

services division to do the job.

It's not quite a huge victory for Linux -- Sherwin Williams' back office

support systems isn't part of the deal -- but analysts say it could be an

indication that retailers are turning to Linux as they replace their old

systems.

Like many retailers, Sherwin Williams' current system is based on a version

of the popular Unix operating system but has grown costly to maintain, said

Jonathan Eunice, an analyst at Nashua, New Hampshire-based Illuminata.

Typically, retailers have replaced these legacy systems with new customized

versions of Unix or with a Microsoft Corp.'s Windows system. Sherwin-Williams is

taking a bit of a risk, he said.

"If you screw up at the point of sale and the customer walks away from

you that's a bad thing," he said. But, he said, Linux isn't being asked to

do too much high-stress computing here. "It's just a nice, low-cost

platform for doing kind of everyday computing."

IBM will begin deploying the systems, which will involve 9,700 NetVista

destktop personal computers, in July. It declined to disclose financial terms.

IBM beat out competitors including Hewlett-Packard Co., Dell Computer Corp. and

Sun Microsystems Inc. for the contract.