Both products are based on version 2.6 of the Linux kernel, and the Paris, France-based company’s Mandrakelinux 10.1 operating system for home users and Linux enthusiasts, and have been packaged specifically for enterprise deployments with five-year maintenance plans.
Unlike the frequently updated Mandrakelinux, both products will also have a more stable lifecycle, with upgrades every 12 to 18 months, while both come with a one-year subscription to Mandrakeonline, the company’s update, patch, and bug-fix delivery service.
Corporate Desktop is Mandrake’s first foray into the emerging market for business-centric Linux desktop products, and features version 1.1 of the OpenOffice productivity suite, as well as the Professional Version of CodeWeavers Inc’s CrossOver Office to enable Microsoft Office and other applications to run on Linux.
It also comes with the Evolution mail client, Mozilla browser, Kopete instant messaging product, and Totem media player, among other things, as well as an ICA Client to connect to Citrix Systems Inc’s server-based computing technologies, and the NoMachine NX Client terminal server technology.
Also included is Drakauthentication, which enables administrators to choose between authentication and directory systems, including LDAP and Microsoft’s Active Directory. Available for both x86 and x86-64 processor-based systems, Corporate Desktop costs from just under $110 with one year’s unlimited web support.
Corporate Server was first introduced in 2000 and updated in 2003, with the new version 3.0 the first to be based on version 2.6 of the Linux kernel. Also available for both x86 and x86-64 systems, it includes CrossOver Office Server Edition as well as NoMachine’s NX Server technology for deploying applications to thin clients.
It is available in two versions, with the standard Corporate Server starting at just under $370 with one year of unlimited web and phone response within two business days. The Premium Corporate Server version starts at just under $830 with the addition of phone response within one business day for extended server issues.
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The extended server scope covers additional server technologies such as the MySQL and PostgreSQL database management systems. Both Corporate Desktop and Corporate Server are also available with Mandrake’s Personalized Solutions and Maintenance Program introduced in May 2004 to offer volume discounts.
