Unify Corp is promising the first full blown application server for Linux as part of a slew of Linux products that it expects to release over the next four months. In total, the San Jose, California-based application development tools company plans to release seven products from the Vision AppServer, Accell and DataServer lines, all based around Red Hat Software Inc’s version 5.2 of the nascent operating system.
John Nance, Unify’s European and international director of technical services, says that main driver behind the company’s move to Linux is customer demand, citing the low cost of ownership as the main reason why the VARs that make up the bulk of Unify’s customer base have been requesting Linux. Nance also says that the growth of Linux as a web platform fits in well with Unify’s increasing focus on e-commerce and web-based applications in general.
However, despite the positive customer feedback, Nance says that there are some problems with Linux implementations of its software. The main issue for unify itself is what level to price the Linux tools at. There is a perception that Linux should be cheaper than equivalent Unix and NT products but currently Unify is planning to price the Linux software at the same level it prices the SCO Unix versions of its tools at. However, Nance says that this is subject to review and that Unify is keeping close on how other enterprise players such as Oracle Corp is pricing its Linux implementations. We could actually cut our own throats, he admitted – the problem being that if Unify prices its product too low, it will have to make up the difference with volume sales – sales that are currently by no means guaranteed.
In addition, Nance says that there is some fear and doubt in the customer base about using Linux for enterprise applications. Some of Unify’s customers in the financial sector perceive Linux as an OS written by hackers, who may be coding back doors into the software, meaning that it is less than secure for e-commerce systems, according to Nance. This is the reason that Unify is using Red Hat Linux 5.2 as its sole development platform for the tools; Nance says that the software is certified on the OS and Unify is confident it is secure and they will be able to deliver drivers and patches using Red Hat Linux flavor. Nance claims that the other bugbear about the use of Linux in enterprise systems – the possible lack of service and support backup, is not an issue in the US because Unify has been working with Linux for a year. Many of the people involved with the project have even installed Linux on their systems at home! Support and helpdesk teams are being trained up in the UK and continental Europe.
The first of the Linux products, Unify DataServer, is due for release in two weeks. The Linux application server, Vision App server, is scheduled for release in July.
