“The inclusion of open-standard operating systems and Java tools
in thin servers has made it easier for VARs to “develop broader
applications that can hook on to Internet appliances,” says Armando
Garcia, president of Arcom, a San Jose-based VAR….”
“Extended Systems’ ExtendNet and Cobalt Networks Inc.’s Qube 2
appliances, among others, run on the Linux OS.”
“It’s a reliable operating system backed by a large development
community,” says Steve Wood, Extended Systems’ R&D manager. “It
allows for timely complex development solutions.”
“Linux’s success in the small to midsize business market has
made customers very amenable to buying Internet appliances running
that OS. “Linux is great for the lower-end marketplace because
it’s available, flexible and cheap,” says Garcia, whose company
sells Cobalt products. “It’s great for us, in terms of application
development, because so many of our customers’ systems now run on
Linux.”