“Corel’s recently announced spin-off of its Linux distribution
is the “best thing for Linux”, according to Rene Schmidt, Executive
VP for Corel’s Linux Product Group. Of course, it could also be
said to be a very good thing for the company as well, writes Bruce
Tober.”
“In the process of reaching early adopters, we received a lot of
customer feedback indicating that, for a company to be
successful in the Linux mainstream, it needs to provide a complete
end-to-end solution,” said Schmidt. “Corel believes that a
spin-off will provide better focus for our resources and this focus
will better position our Linux offerings as key components of an
end-to-end solution.”
“Of course, some observers still see the hidden hand of Bill
Gates in all this. However, Schmidt damned as “nonsense” conspiracy
theories which say that Microsoft’s purchase of a large chunk of
Corel last year played a part in the decision to get shot of its
Linux distribution. “Microsoft’s shares in the company are strictly
non-voting shares,” he told The Register. “They have absolutely no
say in anything we do, absolutely none.”