Several leading Linux companies have signed agreements to redistribute StarOffice 5.2 software, reaffirming its ranking as the top office productivity suite for this community.
"Internationally about 2,8 million copies of StarOffice have already been downloaded. Locally Sun Microsystems SA has distributed about 10 000 StarOffice CDs during the past four month period," says Tertius Bezuidenhout, national systems engineer manager at Sun Microsystems SA.
He adds that the number and quality of distribution agreements signed in the States prove that the popularity of this software is continuing to escalate.
Red Hat, Caldera, SuSe, TurboLinux, Easy Linux, Mandrakesoft, Stormix, Connectivia, Definite Software PLC, and MacMillan are just a few of the companies that have signed redistribution agreements.
StarOffice 5.2, a powerful, full-featured, multi-platform office productivity suite, includes over 100 new and enhanced features, including reduced file sizes, full online help and written documentation, a complete database engine on all major platforms, graphics power enhancements, and introduction of XML as a file format.
"This latest release builds upon Sun's vision to deliver high quality, no-cost office productivity software to users of the Solaris operating environment, Linux and Windows operating systems, " states Bezuidenhout.
"It offers a comprehensive productivity solution to enterprises running heterogeneous computing infrastructures as it also enables users to read and write legacy files," he adds.
The StarOffice desktop software is Web-ready, making it ideal for mobile and disconnected users. Also portal-ready, it is equipped to synchronise files with centrally stored StarPortal office files for access anywhere, anytime, anyplace, when StarPortal ships later this year.
The StarPortal suite will provide word processing, presentation graphics, spreadsheet and other office software tools to any web browser.
The ultimate dot.com application, this software is poised to change the way people compute, delivering office productivity applications in a web-based model.
The new distributors have been quick to highlight that the new version will add increasing value to Linux communities worldwide.
"The availability of quality applications, like StarOffice software with Red Hat Linux only serves to further validate the platform for clients as well as servers." says Paul McNamara, vice president of products and platforms at Red Hat
"As long time supporters of StarOffice software on Linux, MandrakeSoft is excited to redistribute Sun's newest release of the software. We believe this to be the most feature rich and robust version yet," states Jean-Brice Demoulin, Software marketing manager, MandrakeSoft, a leading Linux publisher.
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