Newsgroup: it.comp.os.dibattiti
Titolo: Applix Launches Open Source Initiative With Applix SHELF

Company Press Release
Applix Launches Open Source Initiative With Applix SHELF
Embeddable, Graphical Programming Language Now Available for Unix
WESTBORO, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 2, 1999--
Applix, Inc. (NASDAQ:APLX - news), a leader in decision support
applications for Linux and Unix workstations, today launched its first
Open Source initiative with Applix SHELF, an embeddable, full-featured
programming language for use with the Applixware office suite. With SHELF
added to Applixware's Extension Language Facility (ELF), application
developers will be able to increase customization and extensibility of
their applications by embedding Applixware language in their products.
Richard Manly, director of Product Management and Marketing at Applix,
said customers currently use ELF to customize and extend the capabilities
of Applixware and to rapidly developing graphical applications that
leverage the power of the office suite. ``By making SHELF available in an
Open Source development model, application developers will now be able to
embed Applixware language in their own products to offer similar
customization and extensibility.''
According to Manly, SHELF is ideally suited for developing graphical
interfaces to legacy and Internet/Intranet applications. He said SHELF
does not need to be embedded within customer applications to be used to
create true cross platform, standalone, robust graphical applications.
Both Applixware and Applix SHELF are available for all major distributions
of Linux, including Red Hat, SuSE, Caldera, and Slackware. They are also
available for Sun, IBM, Compaq, and Hewlett Packard Workstations, as well
as for Microsoft Windows 98 and NT. Applix SHELF is being released under
the GNU Library Public License (LPGL), as defined by the Free Software
Foundation, Cambridge, MA. Under LPGL, Applix SHELF is freely usable in
either the original or modified form. It is available now for free
download at Applix's new Open Source-oriented website:
http://www.applixware.org
.
According to Barry Zane, Applix's vice president of Technology, the
release of SHELF expands the company's commitment to Linux, the open
source movement, and standards-based computing.
``The Linux platform is one of the most exciting platforms on which to
develop,'' Zane said. ``The open nature of the technology allows for rapid
product innovation and customer feedback. In fact, we view Linux and the
Open Source model as an ideal means to release the shackles of developers
who want to leverage and integrate with the work of others.''
Zane added that Applix's Open Source-oriented web site
(
http://www.applixware.org
), will serve as a primary location where Open
Source tools and applications will be available to the developer
community. It will also offer a forum-based support model to propose new
projects and to support developers in their use of Applix's source code.
About Applix, Inc.
Applix, Inc., (NASDAQ:APLX - news) headquartered in Westboro, MA, is a
leading provider of Internet front-office business applications that allow
organizations to better access, analyze, and act on customer and market
information. Applix Enterprise is an Internet-centric customer
relationship management solution which received the Editor's Choice Award
from Telemarketing & Call Center Solutions Magazine in 1998; Applix TM1 is
a real-time online analytical processing solution for decision support and
real-time business analysis; and Applix office solutions include Applix
Office for UNIX®, Linux and Windows NT, and Anyware Office for Java-based
desktops.
With thousands of customers around the world including such fast-growth
companies as AT&T, Bank of Nova Scotia, Blockbuster Video, Bristol-Myers
Squibb, Brite Voice, British Airways, Chase Manhattan Bank, Cox
Communications, Credit Suisse, Daimler Benz, Deutsche Bank, Ericsson,
Harrah's, Hewlett-Packard, Kaiser Permanente, Motorola, MTV, National
Football League Properties, New Holland N.A., Novartis Pharmaceuticals,
Reuters, Rhone-Poulenc Rorer, Sharp Documentation Services, Siemens,
Singapore Telecom, SmithKline Beecham, Sony, Sun Microsystems, U.S. Army,
U.S. Department of Energy, Visa International, and Visibility. Applix
leads the way in delivering Internet-centric enterprise applications for
today's globally distributed companies. More information can be found at
www.applix.com
.
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements which
involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual
results to differ materially. Specifically, comments related to the demand
for, revenue from and acceptance of the Company's products and the
Company's position in the markets, may be considered forward-looking and
subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including but not limited
to: the rate of growth in market demand for the products; the acceptance
of the Company's products; intense competitive conditions; rapid
technological change; frequent new product introductions and evolving
domestic and international standards which may render existing products
and services obsolete. Refer to the Form 10-K for the year ended 1997 for
a list of factors as discussed under ``Risk Factors.'' All trademarks,
registered trademarks, and service marks are property of their respective
owners. 
---------------- Contact:
     Applix, Inc.                 The Weber Group
     Richard Manly                Leah Goldman/Kevin Anderson
 
508-870-0300 ext. 256
 
617-520-7040
/7255
 
rma...@applix.com
 
lgol...@webergroup.com
 
kand...@webergroup.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
   Geoffrey S. Zub - Applix Inc - 
(508)870-0300 x 225
 - 
gz...@applix.com
                        -- 
http://www.applix.com
 --
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
-- 
Pierluigi De Rosa (
tho...@durin.khazad-dum.net
).
<<      LINUX: the choice of a GNU generation     >>
* Mettete Blisset & Max_Adamo nel vostro killfile ! *

their applications by embedding Applixware language in their products.
Mega snip.
La mia impressione?
Che lo facciano per (1) spingere le vendite di applixware e (2) probabilente
perche' non hanno abbastanza risorse per uno sviluppo interno ad alto
livello (o almeno a quello raggiungibile dalla comunita' open source).
Ho idea che questa tendenza si sviluppera' sempre piu' per i motivi visti
sopra (promuovere la vendita di altri prodotti correlati che non finiranno
open source, vedi Nescape, communicator libero ma i server no, oppure per
supplire alle difficolta' e spese di sviluppo).
Avra' successo?
Per alcune cose, i progetti piu' attraenti certamente si, ma le altre cose
chi le portera' avanti? Gia' ora ci sono problemi a trovare persone per
sviluppare certi progretti e a coordinarle.
Ma penso che l'open source non sia la soluzione a tutti i problemi come
qualcuno (inteso come software house) si ilude.
Ciao
Francesco

 livello (o almeno a quello raggiungibile dalla comunita' open source).
Si probabilmente si vedono cedere il terreno attorno visto il sempre
maggiore interesse nei confronti di Linux in generale e dell'Open Source in
particolare. Sicuramente l'attenzione di case come Oracle e Sybase non e'
passata inosservata ma anche io ho qualche dubbio che cio' possa portare
ad un incremento delle vendite del loro prodotto.. alla fin fine si tratta
di un linguaggio per lo sviluppo di add-on e non certamente del prodotto
intero che e' messo sotto politica OPen Source. Vedremo...
