IBM Adds More Linux FunctionalityIBM Adds More Linux Functionality

If 2003 is to be the year Linux takes flight in corporate IT settings, the operating system won't truly soar until it has greater support from key software makers. One of those vendors is IBM, which made several Linux-related announcements at LinuxWorld in New York on Wednesday, including support for Lotus Notes from open-source browsers and management capabilities through Tivoli and DB2 for Linux clustering. While IBM didn't break new ground in the corporate Linux environment with these announcements, its message of better tying Linux to existing business IT architectures is consistent with messages from several Linux vendors, including market leader Red Hat Inc.

IBM will provide Linux client support for its Lotus iNotes Web Access software, allowing users to access Lotus Notes-based functions such as E-mail, calendaring, and scheduling by logging on to the Web. This capability is designed to bring the flexibility and lower cost of browser-based messaging to Linux users, since Notes doesn't have to be installed on the user's PC. Lotus iNotes Web Access for Linux client licenses for Linux and Windows 32-bit operating systems are priced starting at $48.65 per client. Lotus Domino for Linux with iNotes Web Access support will be available by March, while iNotes Web Access Linux client support will be generally available during the second half of the year.

IBM also introduced Tivoli System Automation for Linux to provide policy-based self-healing capabilities to quickly identify failing IT components and automatically notify and/or fix the problem. This version of Tivoli will run on IBM's zSeries mainframes and Intel-based xSeries servers. DB2 for Linux Clustering lets companies use the data-management system to scale from two to 1,000 nodes in a clustered Linux environment. Included in the DB2 for Linux Clustering package are WebSphere Application Server; Tivoli Systems management software; SuSE Linux 8; and SAP software, including R/3, mySAP CRM, and mySAP Business Intelligence.

Linux has most successfully penetrated companies that primarily run homegrown apps, says Timothy Buckley, Red Hat's chief operating officer. Companies won't be able to replace a lot of their packaged apps until independent software vendors deliver Linux versions to the market. For its part, Red Hat plans to push its Advanced Server enterprise Linux platform out to more customers in the coming year. Like IBM, Red Hat will also focus on providing improved management tools for Linux environments. Says Buckley, "Linux will become more mainstream as more apps move over to the operating system."