Linux's Brand-New World

Scores of Linux startups and established names in the computer industry flock to LinuxWorld Expo in New York this week to pay homage to Linux in the server OS market and witness the birth of Linux for the desktop era.

MySQL, IBM, BMC Software and Veritas are among the vendors launching significant Linux messaging, database management and accounting applications.

That, combined with next-generation desktop technologies from Sun Microsystems, Computer Associates and Xandros, signals a new era for Linux in the mainstream, say observers.

"Up until now, we've only been viable on the server," said Bruce Perens, executive director of the Linux Desktop Consortium. "This is the first time we can show desktops that work for business. We will see significant commercial deployment in 2004."

Linux messaging startup Scalix, San Mateo, Calif., will show off an enhanced version of its integrated e-mail and calendaring enterprise groupware platform that offers RIM Blackberry support, support for multiple directories, a new Web caching architecture for the Web client and dynamic conversion of rich text format into HTML, executives said.

Open Systems, Minneapolis, will announce an upgrade of its multiplatform accounting package, OSAS v6.5, which is now certified to run on all versions of Red Hat Enterprise Linux v2.1 and includes enhancements such as user-defined fields in its accounts payable, receivable and payroll applications, the company said.

Somers, N.Y.-based IBM's next DB2, code-named Stinger, will support the new Linux 2.6 kernel, taking advantage of that version's improved support for clustering and 64-bit machines, said Jeff Jones, director of strategy for IBM DB2 Information Management software.

BMC, Houston, will show off its Server Management for Linux Solution, which combines the company's Patrol and MainView products for Linux, and an updated Linux version of MainView that supports Red Hat Advanced Server and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 8.

Veritas, Mountain View, Calif., plans to announce expanded storage management and utility computing software capabilities to SUSE Linux distribution, including OpForce automated server provisioning software.