Caldera unites Linux, Unix under one roof

Linux distributor Caldera Systems said its acquisition of two of Santa Cruz Operation's (SCO's) units will unify Linux and Unix for the first time under one company.

Ransom Love, Caldera president and chief executive, said the new company would deliver products for ebusiness environments using both Unix and Linux. "The platform will merge the scalability of Unix with the flexibility of the open source Linux operating system," he said.

"This will result in a set of new web-based offerings that let users run ebusiness applications on everything from thin clients to data centres with clustered server devices," he added.

Caldera is forming a holding company, Caldera Inc, to acquire the two SCO divisions. These are the server software division, which consists of Unixware and OpenServer along with SCO's existing reseller partnerships and contracts, and the professional services division, which provides consulting, support and installation/integration support.

Caldera said it will provide the first comprehensive open internet platform that combines Linux and Unix servers and solutions globally. Specifically, that will include Caldera's Linux line and SCO's OpenServer and Unixware lines.

The combined product line will be introduced at SCO's premier partner show, Forum2000, on 23 August and will be available through both SCO and Caldera's existing worldwide partners.

Following the acquisition, Love will become chief executive of Caldera Inc, and David McCrabb, current president of the SCO's server software division, will become president and chief operating officer of the new company.