| Ximian offers special pricing in response to MS licensing deadline |
Jun. 24, 2002
Boston, MA -- (press release excerpt) -- Ximian, Inc. today announced a special pricing program, called 'Y2Pay', to provide companies with a Linux alternative to Windows-based desktops and applications as the July 31st deadline for new Microsoft licensing programs approaches. As companies grapple with the looming decision to commit to the multi-year software costs and compliance burdens of the new Microsoft Software Assurance plan, the Y2Pay promotion is designed to help end-users and corporate customers affordably begin the migration to lower-cost Linux-based desktop PCs. Through August 15th, 2002, customers may purchase Ximian Desktop Professional Edition for Linux, a complete desktop environment and suite of productivity applications including Sun StarOffice 6.0 and Ximian Evolution, at a savings of up to 25% at Ximian's website.
"The clock is ticking toward the Y2Pay deadline of July 31, and many corporate customers, already facing tight IT budgets, are increasingly anxious about new Microsoft licensing costs that, much in the same way as their Y2K spending, will bring them no benefit," said David Patrick, president and CEO of Ximian. "As a result, we are offering a very simple, streamlined way for companies to choose and evaluate Linux as a more cost-effective option for some user populations. Our solutions like Ximian Desktop Professional Edition and Ximian Connector for Microsoft Exchange let companies deploy Linux workstations that can fit seamlessly into Microsoft-based environment. Ximian is a viable alternative to Y2Pay."
Ximian products and services provide interoperability with Microsoft systems and centralized Linux software management to reduce the cost of deploying and supporting Linux in mixed computing environments. Ximian Connector for Microsoft Exchange is a software extension that enables Linux and UNIX users of the Ximian Evolution groupware suite to collaborate with co-workers and manage email, personal calendars, group schedules, address books and task lists using Microsoft Exchange 2000. Red Carpet CorporateConnect is a web-based service linked to the Red Carpet client in Ximian Desktop that provides centralized management and updating of Linux systems with software from Ximian, leading Linux distributions, and a host of third parties.
The emergence of a Linux desktop alternative for many users comes just as Microsoft is in the process of implementing major changes to its licensing policies. In the past, products such as Microsoft Office were offered for a one-time license fee, with reduced prices for ubsequent upgrades when purchased. Now, Microsoft seeks to have companies commit to multi-year upgrades up front, regardless of whether the customer in fact needs the upgrade for all the systems covered under the agreement.
During the Y2Pay promotion, individual customers may purchase Ximian Desktop Professional Edition for $49.95, a 17% savings from the regular price of $59.95. Companies seeking to start Linux desktop pilots or trials receive greater savings with the Ximian Desktop Professional Edition 10 User Starter Pack. The 10 User pack is priced at $449, savings of 25% per user.
Ximian Desktop Professional Edition software is available for Solaris 8 and leading Linux distributions including Red Hat, SuSE, and Mandrake. The software may be purchased directly from Ximian.
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