“What’s in a number? In the case of SuSE GmbH, a German-based
Linux distributor fighting to expand its brand name visibility in
the North American enterprise market, the answer is simple: a
lot.”
“Privately held companies, as a rule, don’t bare the financial
laundry to the public. Yet late in June, privately held,
130-employees-strong SuSE publicized its latest 12-month revenue
figures with all the aplomb of a market leader. Measured from
second quarter of 1998 through the first quarter of 1999, the
Nuremberg-based company reported $15 million in total revenues,
though it didn’t release its earnings. For Linux watchers
interested in a quarter-to-quarter comparison, the company reported
$5.3 million in revenues in the first quarter of 1999, compared
with $1.6 million over the same period Q1 1998, a 230 percent
growth rate.”