“Windows and Linux in one big, happy network.”
Thats the tagline for Centeris, a startup based in Bellevue, Wash., which is set to share information publicly on Wednesday morning about its first product—a tool for managing Linux systems from inside a Windows network.
The broad-scale beta program for Centeris first product, Likewise, kicks off on Wednesday, said Centeris officials. Centeris is expecting to ship the final version of the product in early December of this year.
Currently an estimated 15 to 18 Fortune 500 and midsize companies are testing the Likewise product, said Centeris executives.
Likewise is designed to allow administrators to perform basic sysadmin tasks for Linux systems from a Windows console in a simple and relatively inexpensive fashion, company principals explained. Lower-end enterprise and midmarket users are the target for the product, Centeris officials said.
“With Likewise, we want to make Linux easier to use in a Windows environment,” said company CEO Barry Crist. “Windows is very entrenched, and Linux is still growing like weeds. Our platform brings together Windows and Linux.”