“Red Hat Inc., No. 1 among Linux vendors, beat its competitors
in the race to go public last August. Caldera Systems Inc., trying
harder at No. 2, will have to beat not just Red Hat but the new ebb
tide on Wall Street that is sucking capital out of equities.
Caldera plans to offer 5 million shares at a proposed $7 to $9 each
and trade as CALD.”
“In addition to the dour mood in the stock market generally,
Caldera will also have to contend with the investing public’s
disillusionment, specifically with the free-OS phenomenon.
Witness Red Hat’s fivefold surge to over $150 in December, and its
subsequent collapse to under $70. The run up and the reversal each
occurred inside of about six weeks. Caldera, with sales around $3
million last year, is roughly one-third the size of its big sister
and also offers consulting, training and support services–no doubt
where the opportunities lie given that the product costs little or
nothing. “