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Ximian

WorldBrand briefing

AI supplement

Original synthesis to sit alongside the encyclopedia article below. Not part of Wikipedia; verify facts on Wikipedia when precision matters.

Ximian was a private software company focused on developing and refining open-source desktop applications for the GNOME platform on Linux and Unix systems. Founded by Miguel de Icaza and Nat Friedman, it played a key role in advancing enterprise-ready open-source tools and cross-platform .NET compatibility.

Key moments

  • 1999-10Founded as Helix Code (previously planned as International Gnome Support)
  • 2001Initiated the Mono project, an open-source implementation of Microsoft's .NET Framework
  • 2001-12Released Ximian Evolution 1.0, an integrated email and personal information manager
  • 2003-08-04Acquired by Novell; continued to operate with its brand and projects intact
  • Post-2003Its technologies evolved under Novell, with later spinoff Xamarin continuing Mono-based mobile development

Ximian positioned itself as a bridge between open-source desktop environments and enterprise software needs, competing with proprietary solutions like Microsoft Office and Exchange, as well as other Linux desktop suites.

Key Competitive Advantages:

  • Enterprise Integration: Ximian Evolution and Connector offered seamless compatibility with Microsoft Exchange Server, addressing a critical gap for Linux-based businesses.
  • Unified Desktop Suite: Ximian Desktop packaged polished versions of GNOME, OpenOffice.org, and other tools into a cohesive, user-friendly experience, standing out from fragmented open-source offerings.
  • Cross-Platform Innovation: The Mono project pioneered .NET compatibility on non-Windows systems, opening new development possibilities for cross-platform applications.

Competitive Challenges:

  • Proprietary Dominance: Faced strong competition from Microsoft's established office and email ecosystems, which had widespread enterprise adoption.
  • Open-Source Fragmentation: Competed with other Linux desktop environments like KDE, though it focused on refining GNOME rather than building a full alternative.
  • Market Adoption Barriers: Despite its technical merits, Linux desktop penetration in enterprise remained limited compared to Windows, constraining its user base.

Ximian, Inc. (previously called Helix Code and originally named International Gnome Support) was an American company that developed, sold and supported application software for Linux and Unix based on the GNOME platform. It was founded by Miguel de Icaza and Nat Friedman in 1999 and was bought by Novell in 2003. Novell continued to develop Ximian's original products, while adding support for its own GroupWise and ZENworks software.

History

Miguel de Icaza had a job interview at Microsoft in 1997 shortly before he started the GNOME project. At Microsoft he met Nat Friedman, who worked there as an intern. Afterwards they became good friends. In April 1999 Friedman came up with the idea to create a company to work on GNOME. The company was founded on 19 October 1999 as International GNOME Support, but its name was changed to Helix Code later. Because that name could not be trademarked the name was changed to Ximian on 10 January 2001.[1]

Nat Friedman was the CEO of Ximian from its founding to 2001 when Ximian brought in David Patrick as CEO and President. Friedman became Vice President of Product Management. The company's business model was based on providing a mix of free and proprietary software, solutions and services. Ximian was a founding member of the GNOME Foundation and the Desktop Linux Consortium.

Ximian was acquired by Novell on 4 August 2003 to improve its offerings of Linux for the enterprise. Novell was in turn acquired by The Attachmate Group on 27 April 2011. In May 2011 The Attachmate Group laid off all its US staff working on Mono, which included De Icaza. He and Friedman then founded Xamarin on 16 May 2011, a new company to continue the development of Mono. On 24 February 2016, Microsoft announced that they had signed an agreement to acquire Xamarin.[2][3][4]

Products

Ximian both developed new products and "polished" existing free software projects to provide more consistent operation. These projects were packaged into its Ximian Desktop product — a range of integrated applications intended to provide all the tools a typical business user might require. So-called "Ximianized" versions of GNOME, OpenOffice.org, and Gaim were released, along with the following completely new products:

  • Ximian Evolution
  • Ximian Connector
  • Red Carpet
  • Bonobo
  • Mono

Further reading

External links

References

  1. Frequently Asked Questions About the Ximian Name Change 2001-06-11, retrieved 2018-05-19^
  2. Microsoft to acquire Xamarin and empower more developers to build apps on any device Official Microsoft Blog, 24 February 2016, retrieved 2016-02-24^
  3. Breaking: Microsoft acquires Xamarin, a leading platform provider for mobile app development. Microsoft PowerUser, 24 February 2016, retrieved 2016-02-24^
  4. Jay Greene. Microsoft Agrees to Acquire Xamarin Inc. Deal reflects efforts to increase Microsoft software's presence on devices beyond those that run Windows. Wall Street Journal, 24 February 2016, retrieved 2016-02-24^
  5. Miguel de Icaza. 10 years of Ximian Personal blog of Miguel de Icaza, 19 October 2009, retrieved 30 January 2013^
  6. Miguel de Icaza. Helix Code. The GNOME company. retrieved 30 January 2013^
  7. Michael Hall. Ximian gets a new CEO Linux Today, 17 April 2001, retrieved 30 January 2013^
  8. Peter Galli. Ximian Branching Out eWeek, 3 December 2001, retrieved 30 January 2013^
  9. Nat Friedman. Helix Code is now "Ximian, Inc" Linux Today, 11 January 2001, retrieved 30 January 2013^
  10. "Red Hat Joins Industry Vendors as a Founding Member of the GNOME Foundation" GNOME, 15 August 2000, retrieved 30 January 2013^
  11. Industry Leaders Launch Desktop Linux Consortium DesktopLinux.com, 4 February 2003, retrieved 30 January 2013^
  12. Novell Acquires Ximian to Expand Linux Solutions and Open Source Commitment Novell, 4 August 2003, retrieved 30 January 2013^
  13. Novell Completes Merger with Attachmate and Patent Sale to CPTN Holdings LLC Novell, 27 April 2011, retrieved 30 January 2013^
  14. Galvin Clarke. .NET Android and iOS clones stripped by Attachmate The Register, 3 May 2011, retrieved 30 January 2013^
  15. Miguel de Icaza. Announcing Xamarin Personal blog of Miguel de Icaza, 16 May 2011, retrieved 30 January 2013^
  16. Nat Friedman. Xamarin Nat Friedman's blog, 25 May 2011, retrieved 9 February 2013^