Ximian releases products to popularize Linux

SEATTLE: Ximian, distributor of a PC desktop and business software package

based on Linux, on Monday released two new products to help the alternative

operating system gain traction in corporations.

The products are designed to overcome two obstacles that stand in the way of

broader adoption of Linux: lack of interoperability with Microsoft Corp.'s

popular business software and difficulty in managing large networks running the

system.

Privately held Ximian was created to spur adoption of Linux, which as

"open-source" software is freely available and can be modified by

users, unlike proprietary products like Microsoft Windows. Although Linux has

found a market powering Web sites and corporate networks, lack of a

user-friendly interface and set of office tools has hampered its adoption on

regular PCs.

Boston-based Ximian has tried to change that by distributing GNOME, an

open-source desktop that creates an easy-to-use graphical interface for Linux

and the related Unix operating system. Ximian also makes a suite of business

tools, including a word processor and e-mail program, delivering to Linux users

similar functions that Microsoft Office does for Windows users.

But companies that use both Microsoft and Linux products face difficulty in

getting the two systems to talk to each other and share data. So Ximian's first

product, called Connector, will let people running Linux on a corporate PC plug

into Microsoft's Exchange server, which handles company e-mail, scheduling and

contacts, Jon Perr, Ximian's vice president of marketing, said in an interview.

That would let Linux users exchange e-mail with colleagues using Microsoft

software. To date, many companies with groups that use Linux have had to

maintain two separate networks and give employees two computers, Perr said.

"Companies can much more cost-effectively support Linux users, because

they no longer need to provide them with a second mail system or second PC just

to get office e-mail," he said.

The other product, called Red Carpet CorporateConnect, will let Linux

administrators more effectively manage their networks by automatically getting

software updates and ensuring that everyone on a network is running the same

version of various applications.

"With Red Carpet, the savings really come with productivity gains to the

corporation," Perr said. "Administrators can spend five to 10 hours a

week installing patches, security updates or new features. "What customers

are really looking for is for this process to be automatic, to ensure

consistency across their systems and that they really control what is being

distributed throughout their organizations," Perr said.