Mandriva is Alive!

[Rahim]

Mandriva is alive!

Finally, after weeks of uncertainty, we've just received a press release from Mandriva, and we're pasting it verbatim so you can read the news for yourselves. Let us know what you think this all means.

Mandriva restructures to establish European leadership

Paris, 7th July 2010 - Mandriva is one of the cornerstones of Open Source, a technological pioneer offering the sole independent Linux distribution on the European market. Nevertheless the company has been faced with a mounting financial challenge for several years due in part to its size and lack of a clear publishing strategy.

Mandriva also plays a strategic role in the Paris Saclay innovative ecosystem centred on the Pole System@tic Paris Region and Cap Digital. The company is involved in a dozen R&D projects in partnership with some 60 research and industrial laboratories working on themes such as the semantic desktop, Linux Real Time distribution, shared infrastructures or cloud computing.

This explains why a group of entrepreneurs, associated with the founding investors, has drawn up an ambitious industrial plan with the aim of saving from bankrupty and relaunching the company. Mandriva finds itself at the heart of a European assembly of Open Source software players which will occur in the coming monthes. IF Research parent company of the european software editor Wallix will lead this operation. Mandriva is thus at the heart of a business combination that will take place in Europe next month among several players involved in free software. In France, IF Research, parent company of the software editor Wallix will accompany Mandriva to conduct these operations.

At the heart of this strategy, Mandriva Linux will be distributed exclusively by a sales and integrated IT network, as well through OEM partnerships (Original Equipment Manufacturer) in the EMEA (European and Middle East) and BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) zones. A professional offer aimed at the major business markets (Education, Industry, Services, Retail) will meet the demands of clients seeking alternative and economic options in the field of heterogenous IT systems management. This offer will be unveiled in the second half of 2010.

In the meantime, and in the short term, Mandriva has begun a drastic program of structural cost-cutting as well as raising funds to redress the financial balance and assure the long-term future of the company. Negotiations are undrerway with new investors who will be presented at the company's next general board meeting.

Mandriva has already welcomed two new board members - Jean-Noël de Galzain, President of IF Research and Wallix, Vice-President PME of Pôle System@tic Paris Région, and Bertrand Glineur, formerly DSI of Crédit Foncier de France, and member of the GCE business board. Their goal is to help the management team set up by Mandriva CEO Arnaud Laprévote to complete the restructuring and implement the new strategy which will be revealed in detail at Mandriva's next Board Meeting.

« By bringing together IF Research and Mandriva, two highly complementary units, Mandriva will be able to strengthen its strategic position, » explained Mandriva CEO Arnaud Laprévote.

« Mandriva owns in its DNA all the requisites of an Open Source world leader. A community of 3.5 million users, a leading position in the BRIC zone, and prestigious clients in both the public sector and major business, » stressed Jean-Noël de Galzain, President of IF Research. « The company will focus first on its profitability and the promotion of a new commercial dynamic based on a range of innovative products offered through a channel of Value Added Resellers. »

Mandriva will shortly launch its latest distribution: Mandriva Linux Spring 2010, which can be downloaded from the Mandriva site Mandriva .

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This is good news for Mandriva and FOSS world.

[azaad_shri75]

now opensuse seems in trouble, as they are trying to break off from novell.

[Rahim]

^But i cant help but feel that a money-making company is essential for FOSS to be recognised and marketed than just on the base of self-centered community.

Is Ubuntu making any money (pardon my ignorance)?

[azaad_shri75]

ubuntu makes money from support,

what you say is also right, however like fedora which is backed by red hat yet works under complete freedom,no kinda restrictions, however in opensuse there is no complete freedom from novell, so they want to be open as their name suggests and novell still can make sled without interfering in opensuse.

[Rahim]

^I saw the interview on CNBC of CEO of Red Hat and when asked whether he is worried from competition from Ubuntu at Enterprise level, he answered that SUSE is more of a competitor than Ubuntu.

Fedora is just gunea-pig laboratory for Red Hat and thats not a bad thing, but only for purist FOSS.