CA backs Red Hat Linux

By Nancy Weil
IDG News Service, 01/27/00

Computer Associates will offer four of its software products on the Linux open-source platform as part of an ongoing alliance with Red Hat, the companies announced.

By April, when it hosts its annual CA World user conference in New Orleans, CA will make widely available for the Red Hat Linux platform its ARCserveIT storage software, InoculateIT antivirus software, MasterIT Web management product and NetworkIT performance and management line for e-business networks.

The technology to port the four to Linux is available now, but engineers are completing the integration and final testing, Sanjay Kumar, CA president and chief operating officer, said during a joint press conference with Red Hat President and CEO Matthew Szulik.

Kumar says that Red Hat will set the prices for the products with the sales forces of both companies working together to promote the Linux applications. CA also will resell Red Hat support and maintenance with its Unicenter TNG architecture. A Linux version of Unicenter TNG was announced last year at the LinuxWorld trade show.

CA officials at the company user conference last year said that CA was beefing up its Linux strategy, and Kumar said this week that the latest announcements are part of that initiative, which is being pushed by customers who want to integrate Linux into their corporate system environments.

The companies also will offer joint marketing and training. The idea, Kumar said, is to offer "one-stop support shopping" to customers. Financial terms of the deal weren't detailed, but the companies will be sharing profits derived from the alliance, which is not exclusive.

A survey of IT executives at a CA event found that 48% said they intended to integrate Linux and open-source software into their corporate systems after the Y2K computer problem was past them.

"We're pleased that we're now able to jump on that opportunity," Kumar said.

CA, in Islandia, N.Y., can be reached at 516-342-5224 or at www.cai.com/. Red Hat, in Research Triangle Park, N.C., can be reached at 919-547-0012 or at www.redhat.com/.