TurboLinux and Linksys sign bundling deal

IRVINE, 10 March 2000 - The agreement, projeced to include more than 1.2 million products, will give Linksys customers TurboLinux operating system solutions with purchases of selected Linksys products.

"TurboLinux chose Linksys as our partner in this program to target the small/medium business market with Linux solutions because of the company's dominance in this marketplace and because of their leadership in providing quality networking hardware and customer service," said Cliff Miller, CEO of TurboLinux.

"Like Linksys, TurboLinux believes that customers in this market will quickly realize the value of Linux in meeting their business needs," he added.

In 1999, Linux shipments surpassed those of Novell Netware and all types of Unix for server operating systems to reach the number two positions behind Windows NT, according to market research from International Data Corporation (IDC). Nearly twice as many copies of Linux shipped last year than in 1998, and it grew at roughly fourt imes the rate of the server OS market as a whole, according to IDC.

"We have recognized the fast growth and popularity of the Linux OS and this partnership with TurboLinux shows our support in sustaining the Linux growth," said Victor Tsao, Linksys CEO. "The small and medium business market is also the fastest growing market segment so bundling Linux with SMB networking solutions brings together a synergy that will give our customers maximum value."

The Linksys/TurboLinux bundled products will be available in retail computer and electtronic stroes, through VARs, distribution, e-commerce and mail order starting later in March.