Messaging software vendor Sendmail Inc. has announced it is working with Hewlett-Packard Co. and Intel Corp. to develop a Linux-based e-mail server designed for deskless enterprise workers.
The Workforce Mail offering combines Sendmail’s e-mail software, HP Proliant Servers and Intel’s Centrino low-power wireless platform running on Linux. The joint solution is based on Linux because that proved to be the most cost effective platform for deploying a messaging system, according to a Sendmail spokesperson. Workforce Mail integrates with such departmental messaging systems as IBM’s Lotus Notes or Microsoft Exchange through integration with Sendmail’s directory services.
Gartner: non-U.S. groups seek alternative to MS
Governments and businesses outside the U.S. are leading the push to find alternatives to Microsoft Corp. for their software needs, according to a report released recently by research company Gartner Inc.
The reasons for seeking an alternative include concern over licensing issues, security breaches and the grassroots power of open source software, according to Gartner. In Asia-Pacific, governments in China, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia and Australia are encouraging government departments and businesses to replace Microsoft products with a combination of Linux, other open source products and software from local vendors. In North America, concern about Microsoft’s strength is less pronounced. The most popular alternatives to Microsoft are Linux and other open source software products such as the Apache Web server. Benefits perceived by users of using open source software include lower or free initial costs, freedom from vendor lock-in, better security and the potential to help drive local IT economies, Gartner said. The main difficulty lies in integrating different pieces of open source software to provide maximum benefit from IT investments, according to Gartner
CollabNet buys Enlite software company
Software development tools company CollabNet Inc. recently announced that it has acquired Enlite Networks Inc., a maker of project management software for the electronics industry.
Enlite had been quietly developing a suite of project management software, called iGRID, aimed at the computer-aided electronics design market. The software allows managers to monitor various aspects of the product design process and gives them a centralized view of things like changes in design requirements, software bug rates and the status of important deliverables. The deal effectively doubles the size of CollabNet’s engineering staff to about 70 and it adds iGRID to CollabNet’s portfolio of collaborative software development tools.
