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By Kent Larsen
LDS-run Firm Now Largest Linux Company
OREM, UTAH -- Caldera Systems announced Monday that it had completed the
acquisition of two divisions of The Santa Cruz Operation, which makes it now
the largest Linux company in the world. Caldera's claim comes by virtue of
its sales, support and representation in 82 countries worldwide.
Caldera also now has the largest network of reseller, including some 15,000
companies around the world that sell and market its products. This network
of resellers gives Caldera access to a wide range of customers, and allows
those customers to find application hardware providers whose products work
with Caldera's software. "With the completion of this acquisition, Caldera
will be the only company to offer a standard unified platform that allows
Linux applications to scale to the enterprise utilizing the power, maturity
and stability of UNIX. It's a first..." says Ransom Love, Caldera
International's CEO and an LDS Church member.
However, analysts have expressed skepticism over the sale, and since its
announcement last November the company's stock price has, at best, not
fallen as much as the general market. But in one respect,the deal gives
Caldera an advantage over Linux market-leader Red Hat since SCO's software
gives Linux high-end features, such as the ability to run software on
multiple computers.
Under the terms of the transaction with SCO, Caldera is paying $23 million
in cash, $8 million in notes due the second year after the acquisition, and
16 million shares of stock.
Sources:
Caldera Completes Acquisition of Two SCO Divisions; Becomes Largest Linux Company in the World with Global Services/Support
Business Wire 7May01 B4
SCO Announces Official Closing of Sale of Two Divisions to Caldera
PRNewswire 7May01 B4
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