VentureBeat

Two days before Microsoft launches its latest operating system, Windows 7, IBM is trying to poach a few customers by launching a cheaper, Linux-based alternative.

IBM Client for Smart Work mixes open source productivity software with online tools and Canonical’s Ubuntu operating system. It was developed for sale in Africa and other emerging markets, but it seemed like there was an audience in the United States, too, IBM says.

It sounds like IBM’s challenge to Windows 7 has less to do with product and features, and more with pricing. In its announcement, IBM points to analysis showing that Windows 7 upgrades could cost up to $2,000 per user in combined software and hardware costs. Many people will need a new PC to upgrade from Windows XP to Windows 7. Why not skip all that, IBM says, and go with IBM Client for Smart Work? The company claims its software costs 50 percent less, and requires no hardware upgrades.

Here is IBM’s list of what’s included in the package:

• “Word processing, spreadsheets, presentations from IBM Lotus Symphony, a free-of-charge download.
• “Email from IBM Lotus Notes or the cloud-based LotusLive iNotes launched earlier this month, which starts at $3 per user per month.
• “Cloud-based, social networking and collaboration tools from LotusLive.com, ranging from $10 per user per month.
• “Canonical Ubuntu, a community-developed Linux distribution for netbooks, laptops, desktops, and servers.”

Companies will be able to buy IBM Client for Smart Work from a number of sellers, including Canonical, and IBM says it plans to enlist hundreds more in the coming year.

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Tags: co:IBM