Windows/Linux Network Management Solution Available Jan. 17
BELLEVUE, Wash. – January 17, 2006 – Centeris® Corporation, a pioneer in developing software for easy management of Linux® servers in a Microsoft® Windows® network, today announced general availability of its flagship product, Centeris Likewise Management Suite 1.0. Likewise will be available for purchase from www.centeris.com beginning Jan. 17, 2006.
The Centeris Likewise Management Suite is the first server management solution to seamlessly integrate Linux servers in a Windows network. The Likewise solution simplifies configuration of Linux servers, provides Windows-based tools for day-to-day server management and improves compatibility between Windows and Linux.
"Making Linux easier for customers to deploy and manage is an ongoing priority for Red Hat," said Bret Hunter, Director of Partner Development at Red Hat. "As we continue to grow server market share, many customers are seeking to deploy integrated, heterogeneous networks of server systems, and the Centeris Likewise solution makes it easier for Windows customers to adopt and manage Red Hat Enterprise Linux."
"Nearly two-thirds of businesses that run Windows as their primary server operating system also have Linux installed in their organizations," according to survey data provided by the Yankee Group, a Boston-based consultancy. "Mainstream Linux deployments are on a steep upward trajectory. Although they will not replace Windows, co-existence will be the order of the day," said Laura DiDio, Yankee Group analyst and Research Fellow. "Centeris Likewise enables administrators to quickly, efficiently and easily install and manage Linux servers in their Windows environments."
Centeris has spent the last year finalizing development, testing the technology and working closely with select beta partners to ensure the quality and usability of the final product. There has been tremendous interest in the product already – in just six weeks, more than 800 companies downloaded the beta version of Likewise, confirming the broad need for better tools to manage and integrate mixed networks across all industries.
"The industry has been searching long and hard for a way to simplify and reduce the costs of managing a large network of Linux servers remotely," said John Rowell, Senior Vice-President of Operations and Engineering at OpSource, an early participant in the Likewise Beta Program. "Likewise enables Windows-trained administrators to support Linux servers easily and efficiently, without the cost of training or additional headcount."
How It Works
The Likewise Management Suite includes two components – the Likewise Console and Likewise Advanced Agent. The Likewise Console is a Windows-based application that makes it easy to configure and manage server roles, join Linux servers to Microsoft Active Directory and manage Apache Web services. The Likewise Advanced Agent runs on Linux servers, supporting management from either the Likewise Console or from the Microsoft Management Console (MMC), which is part of Windows. Also available is the Likewise Open Agent, a free open source version of the technology.
"We've had a tremendous response from both customers and partners during our beta period," said Barry Crist, CEO of Centeris. "Customers clearly like the approach we've taken. We're shipping our Likewise 1.0 solution with terrific market momentum."
The retail price for Centeris Likewise Management Suite is $349 per license, and volume discounts are available. The product is available for download from the company's Web site, www.centeris.com.
About Centeris
Centeris solutions give customers the freedom to choose the server platform best suited to their business needs. Our flagship product, Centeris Likewise, makes it easy for midsized and enterprise companies running Microsoft Windows networks to configure and manage Linux® servers. Likewise provides familiar Windows-based management tools and improved integration of Windows and Linux servers, helping companies achieve the full benefits of running mixed networks. Centeris Corporation is a Bellevue, WA-based software company funded by leading venture capital firm Ignition Partners. Centeris has experienced management and engineering teams in place and is led by senior executives from leading technology companies such as Microsoft, F5 Networks, EMC and Mercury.