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Bristol Submits: Brings Windows Apps to Linux

When you can't beat 'em, join 'em. And that's just what Bristol Technology did. After winning a meaningless decision against Microsoft Corp. (www.microsoft.com) over restrictions on access to Windows source code, Bristol signed the refuted contract and has now released an updated Wind/U product that ports Windows applications to the Linux platform.

Wind/U, from Bristol Technology Inc. (www.bristol.com) is a set of cross-platform development tools, as well as a porting center for moving Microsoft Windows applications to various Unix flavors.

Wind/U for Linux enables developers to compile Microsoft Win32 API and Microsoft Foundation Class (MFC) source code directly on Linux and create native desktop and server-based Linux applications. Wind/U for Linux includes support for Windows technologies such as MFC 6 and COM. Bristol is also providing ports of the RogueWave Stingray Visual C++ components on Linux for use with Wind/U.

The Linux Porting Center will help companies determine the effort required to port applications to Linux. The Linux Porting Center offers expertise in Wind/U porting as well as native Linux development. The Porting Center also provides hands-on training in Linux development.

This announcement comes only a few months after a protracted battle between the company and Microsoft. During a trial in the summer of 1999, Bristol had accused Microsoft of unfair practices by raising the price of access to Microsoft's Windows Interface Source Environment (WISE), the clearinghouse for much of the Windows API source code necessary to develop Wind/U's porting technology.

Microsoft countered with the argument that Bristol rival Mainsoft Corp. (www.mainsoft.com) produced similar software and had signed the same agreement Microsoft had offered Bristol. Bristol won the judgement, but was awarded a token settlement of only one dollar. Since that time, Bristol has signed the same agreement with Microsoft as did Mainsoft. -- Isaac Slepner

About the Author

Scott Bekker is editor in chief of Redmond Channel Partner magazine.

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