Vendors put faith in Linux for business

Turbolinux has signed deals with Hewlett Packard (HP) and Compaq for its server management software, providing more evidence of Linux's growing acceptance in business computing.

Although the management products are not open source, they sit on top of the Linux operating system.

The first of these, PowerCockpit, introduced last Autumn, enables remote control of Linux servers, including the downloading of updates and bug fixes for the operating system.

In the HP agreement, it will co-brand PowerCockpit and start reselling it with its Intel servers before the end of the second quarter this year. Compaq will also carry out joint promotion with Turbolinux for PowerCockpit.

But the two companies may also be keeping their options open as Turbolinux is planning to bring out a new version that controls both Linux and Windows servers.

Meanwhile, IBM will today announce at the LinuxWorld Conference in New York that it has come close to recovering the $1bn it invested in Linux last year.

Big Blue increased its Linux related revenue forecast by 50 per cent during 2001, according to Bill Zeitler, head of the company's server group.

Although there is some mistrust of IBM's figures among analysts, and IBM never breaks out separate software numbers, there is a concensus that IBM's Linux strategy is paying off with sales outstripping its rivals.