Toronto Star: Linux Growth Bitter Pill for Corel | Linux Today

Toronto Star: Linux Growth Bitter Pill for Corel

Written By
Web Webster
Web Webster
Aug 6, 2002

[ Thanks to grw for this
link. ]

“Did Corel Corp. goof up again?

“It’s been a year since the Ottawa-based software company, under
the direction of chief executive Derek J. Burney, struck a deal to
sell its fledgling Linux OS division for a few million bucks.

“Burney argued at the time that Linux was too much of a
distraction for money-losing Corel, which had pledged to get its
ship in order after former CEO Michael Cowpland jumped overboard
and left behind a half-sunken vessel full of holes.

“Fair enough. On the other hand, conspiracists immediately
called the asset sell-off a Microsoft pressure tactic. Microsoft
had recently purchased a 21 per cent non-voting stake in Corel, and
since Linux represented a direct (albeit tiny) threat to Windows,
the software giant certainly had motive…”


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Web Webster

Web Webster

Web Webster has more than 20 years of writing and editorial experience in the tech sector. He’s written and edited news, demand generation, user-focused, and thought leadership content for business software solutions, consumer tech, and Linux Today, he edits and writes for a portfolio of tech industry news and analysis websites including webopedia.com, and DatabaseJournal.com.

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