December 1998
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Interview

Corel's CEO shares Linux vision Forget Java. Linux now the key to besting Microsoft. Summary After an ill-fated attempt to outmaneuver Microsoft with a Java port of its major applications, Corel Corp. is now betting its future on Linux. The Canadian company sells a line of Linux computers, is in the process of porting all its major applications to Linux, and recently announced plans to join the KDE (K Desktop Environment) development effort. Corel has also done work on Wine (Windows emulator) and the StrongARM Linux port. In this interview, Corel CEO Michael Cowpland explains how and why his company is betting on Linux and comments on the Linux OEM market, Microsoft, and possible future products (like an x86 computer). (1,200 words) By Robert McMillan

Cowpland: The policy in the company is to get all our key software on the Linux platform. Because if you look at Microsoft's value-add right now, 40 percent, I think, is the [Office] Suite, 50 percent is Windows, and 10 percent is everything else put together. So the main monopoly is Windows, but then Office is a virtual monopoly in the Fortune 500.

And we're offering a competitive alternative to Windows. But we're obviously very interested to establish a viable platform where Microsoft doesn't own the OS.

LinuxWorld: Are you going to be bundling the operating system as well?

Cowpland: Whenever it's convenient. We will have various forms... we'll be looking at bundling desktops too... KDE initially [Corel and KDE announced a technology relationship today --Editor] and maybe GNOME later on. We're trying to make it a really easy experience for end users to get at the applications without having to be OS experts.

LinuxWorld: Would you want to partner with one of the existing distribution vendors on this?

Cowpland: Yes. We are partnering with Red Hat, and we'll be partnering with others as appropriate. But Red Hat's certainly got the momentum right now.

LinuxWorld: So you'll be able to buy an operating system with your office suite from either Red Hat or Corel?

Cowpland: Yes. Right now our existing product is like a mini-suite. It's got very powerful tables which have spreadsheet-like functionality, as well as very good graphics. So, while it's not a fully-blown suite, it's a very good start.

LinuxWorld: Do you plan to add products like Quattro to the suite?

Cowpland: Yes, we're well underway with Quattro and Presentations. We'll also be doing Draw and Ventura and Photopaint.

LinuxWorld: So what's the time line for all of this? I guess the next thing you want to do is come out with a WordPerfect suite type of thing.

Cowpland: Yes, Office 2000 is the Windows version coming out. The Linux version will be out within about seven months. The aim of the download is to get as many people familiar with the technology as possible, and then move into the full suite as soon as it is available.

LinuxWorld: And then you'll be doing the OS and windowing environment bundles?

Cowpland: We're working with, of course, Corel Computer, which will be bundling in a lot of the software for desktops. But also Corel Computer will be putting together OEM versions on CD-ROM for other manufacturers, which will give them applications pre-installed.

LinuxWorld: Would you want to sell an end-user, install-your-own-Linux-with-our-suite version?

Cowpland: We're going to be going in that direction. We think that will be mainly marketed for the manufacturers to preinstall it, so that people get the savings. Otherwise you've already paid for Windows. Where's the savings?

LinuxWorld: And you'd clearly like to get a major PC manufacturer involved?

Michael Cowpland

Cowpland: We think we'll be looking for $300 PCs with an office suite. Right now they're down to about $400, but they're having to pay about $100 to Microsoft. So imagine what you can do with Linux. People are very excited about the fact that they are reaching new low [pricing] levels.

LinuxWorld: Microsoft's not going to like that very much, and it has been known to deal quite aggressively with vendors who try to move into the OEM market with new operating systems.

Cowpland: With the antitrust suit, though, they're probably going to get their horns pulled in a bit. The timing is perfect for this, because up 'til now, as you say, they would bully people quite a bit in terms of -- say a Gateway or a Dell wanted to have a very competitive Linux line, then they'd probably be getting a lot of Sabre rattling from Microsoft.

LinuxWorld: Are you hearing of changes happening already?

Cowpland: Not yet, no. But that's what's exciting about the speed [the Department of Justice is] going to go at. Originally I thought it was going to take years, like it did with IBM. But that's not the case. They've already got their timetable planned, and one of the lawyers on the government side is the main lawyer who defended IBM, so he knows about stalling tactics.

LinuxWorld: What do you think Microsoft will eventually do to counter Linux, and how are you preparing for that?

Cowpland: Assuming they win the antitrust trial, what we're doing is putting critical mass resources to rapidly establish Linux as the alternative desktop -- as well as, well already it's doing great on the server.

I think it's important that things come together quite quickly to avoid expectations not being met. With Java, there was a lull after the original excitement because there wasn't enough product coming through. We want to make sure this doesn't happen with Linux by having lots of products coming through.

LinuxWorld: Are you planning to support GNOME as well as KDE?

Cowpland: There's no reason to not be flexible. Because it's quite easy to move into GNOME if it gets more popular. In other words, we can be agnostic on that. GNOME's not really mature enough yet, but as it does [mature], we can easily switch over if that stream becomes more popular.

LinuxWorld: Are there any titles in your application portfolio that would make sense to release as open source software?

Cowpland: There may well be, but it's one of those things where we're going really fast, and we have to get experience as we go. Things like interface builders would be a natural... The more you open up that area, the easier it makes it for people to use software.

LinuxWorld: When did Linux first appear on your radar?

Cowpland: A year and a half ago, when we were looking into operating systems for our NetWinder. The more we got into it, the better it was. And I think that's a lot of people's experience with Linux; it gets better and better the more details you get about it, in terms of performance and flexibility.

LinuxWorld: Speaking of the NetWinder, I've never understood the concept of Corel as a hardware company. Where did that come from?

Cowpland: Well it came out of our SCSI group. We've had hardware going ever since we started. It's a very high-powered hardware team. Very focused, though not huge. And they've always done world-leading technology. We had world-leading SCSI technology that we sold to Adaptec. Then we moved into Corel video, which is world-leading technology but it's kind of a high-end approach to it. We migrated that into network computing, and it kind of led us into the Linux computer.

LinuxWorld: As I understand it the NetWinder is an NC, essentially, on the client side.

Cowpland: But then we're finding that the server is in some way more exciting, because you can cluster them together to get an incredible power density. And we're also looking at x86 servers, because that way you can get rid of the Microsoft tax, where say a 1000-user system would have $20,000 of NT licenses on it. So you eliminate that totally on a box that might be selling for $10,000.

LinuxWorld: So you're looking at actually selling your own x86...

Cowpland: Yes, we're looking at doing our own x86 [computer]. The value-add there would be the integrated software -- it's basically an application server -- and low cost of ownership in a box, with all the Linux know-how embedded in, including things like Wine [Windows emulator] for Windows applications you want to run out of the box. We're actually working with the Wine community to perfect that technology.

LinuxWorld: And you would sell an x86 server or client or both?

Cowpland: Server. And then basically clients could be NetWinders, but they don't have to be.

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