ZDNet.UK: Red Hat Aggressive with Premium Linux

“Leading Linux seller Red Hat is becoming more aggressive in
pushing its premium operating system products, using support
contracts, pricing changes and certification restrictions to drive
customers and partners to its more expensive ‘advanced’ line.

“Red Hat is newly profitable, but the Raleigh, North
Carolina-based company is betting that its Advanced Server and
Advanced Workstation products will dramatically boost its finances.
To shift customers away from the lower-priced Professional and
Personal versions, the company is taking the carrot-and-stick
approach and will release at least two new Advanced versions by the
end of March, company executives say.

“In addition, chief financial officer Kevin Thompson hinted
during a Thomas Weisel Partners investment conference Wednesday
that a coming lower-priced version of Advanced Server will mean Red
Hat can start expanding its current competition against Unix
companies to include Microsoft as well…”

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