As the name suggests, SMB Server will be aimed at smaller businesses, fulfilling their requirements for the security and reliability of Linux, within the usual administration and management costs, according to Andreas Typaldos, Xandros CEO.
The new product will be based on Xandros’s new xMC Xandros Management Console, which is designed to deliver Windows-like administration in a Linux server operating system. The product is due for release at the end of 2005 once the beta testing process has been completed.
New York-based Xandros first began talking seriously about launching a server Linux distribution in July 2004 after it acquired the Debian-based Linux assets of Corel in August 2001.
Since then the company has continued the development of the Xandros Desktop OS Standard, Deluxe and Business Editions, as well as introducing the xDMS Xandros Desktop Management Server product for the deployment, configuration and management of Linux desktops in October 2004.
Xandros is turning its attention to the server just as Linux server vendors such as Red Hat, Novell, and Madriva are beginning to focus more of their efforts on the potential for Linux on business desktops.
Novell is also targeting Linux at the small to medium business space having laucnhed Novell Linux Small Business Suite 9 at the end of March, bringing together its SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, Novell Linux Desktop, GroupWise, eDirectory and iManager products in a single package.
