Verity Throws Support To Red Hat

Knowledge retrieval solutions provider Verity, Inc. (Nasdaq: VRTY) has entered into a strategic support-related alliance with Linux vendor Red Hat, Inc. (Nasdaq: RHAT) to boost Linux-based open-source software resources available to developers.

Under the terms of the agreement, Verity will support the Red Hat Linux operating system (OS) distribution for customers of its K2Toolkit v2.1.1 and HTML Export v2.5.2 e-commerce enabling products. Verity’s online business-related product offerings will now be available for users looking for highly customizable software, adding Linux to a list of supported platforms that includes Digital UNIX, HP-UX, IBM AIX and Microsoft Windows NT.

Adding Linux To An E-Commerce Development Strategy

According to Ronald Weissman, vice president of strategy and corporate marketing for Verity, the company’s goal has been to support all major platforms, including Red Hat, “the leading player in the Linux arena. E-commerce applications developed with Verity can now span systems running Linux, UNIX and/or Microsoft NT operating systems.”

Verity’s K2 Toolkit provides e-commerce developers with text retrieval capabilities and application integration features necessary for customization including catalog navigation and content search functionality. The HTML Export product provides Web page generation for documents created with Applix, Corel, Lotus and Microsoft office software products.

“Our vision has been to provide a set of solutions that are designed to allow any large organization to build a one-stop shopping system for accessing information across the enterprise,” added Weissman.

Partners in Development

Red Hat, who recently released version 6.1 of its OS package, has also struck a deal with ORBiT Software. ORBiT will join Red Hat’s Developer Partners Program and its UNiBACK for Linux product will be included with the applications CD that accompanies the Red Hat Linux boxed retail set.

UNiBACK is a back up solution that is additionally available for UNIX. ORBiT solutions are, according to the company, designed for “commercial and non-commercial organizations that cannot afford data loss or application downtime.” ORBiT created the “hot backup” online backup capability.

About Linux

“The Linux server operating environment market has experienced outstanding growth over the last two years, growing by well over 100 percent CAGR during this time period,” said William Peterson, research manager for International Data Corporation (IDC).

IDC numbers indicate that sales of Linux-based products will expand at twice the rate of all other server operating systems combined — approximately 25 versus approximately 12 percent — each year until 2003. Last year, Linux server software shipments grew 181 percent, rising to approximately 717,000 or 14 percent of the total server operating environment market, noted Peterson.