German original equipment manufacturer (OEM) Markement
has sold more than one million units of its Sun Microsystems'
StarOffice productivity suite.
However, Germany is StarOffice's home market and the software
has been available since 1993. It remains to be seen if Sun can
replicate its success elsewhere.
Carsten Müller, Sun product marketing manager for desktop
software in Germany, is confident, however, saying that consumers
are hungry for change and now is the time for Linux on the
desktop.
"People want to be free from being locked into certain products
and companies, namely Microsoft, " Müller said, speaking at the
CeBIT trade show in Hannover.
Müller sees customers' frustration with Microsoft and its
dominance in the market as a key driver of desktop Linux
adoption.
"Customers definitely want to see an alternative to Windows and
Microsoft," he said. "Linux on the desktop is going to grow fast,
outpacing its current strength on the server side."
Müller admitted that StarOffice and the company's Java Desktop
System (JDS) are limited in the kinds of users they can serve at
the moment. The products are geared toward office workers who need
basic word processing, messaging, e-mail and office programs but
are not tailored toward specific industries or tasks.
Müller said he expected Linux desktop options, not just from Sun
but other suppliers, to grow fast. In fact, a version of JDS is due
to come out in about six weeks with new management and
administration features for enterprises.
Scarlet Pruitt writes for IDG News Service