BEIJING, Feb. 13 (Xinhuanet) -- IBM unveiled on Monday its plan to reduce costs of managing Apple or Linux desktops and wipe out Microsoft's software by offering a new open source software system for business desktops, media reported.

    The plan, called the Open Client Offering, combines IBM's Lotus Notes and Sametime software for e-mail, calendar and messaging; WebSphere software for server-based applications; a special version of the open-source OpenOffice.org software suite; and Lotus Expeditor for hybrid applications that can run either when a computer is connected to the network or not, according to IBM. 

    "We worked with the open source community and found a way to write software once that will work regardless of operating system." said Scott Handy, vice president of Linux and open source at IBM. "It will run on Windows, Macintosh or Linux."

    To get around the issue, the Open Client Offering uses software that grew out of the IBM-launched Eclipse project called the Rich Client Platform (RCP). This package includes a "runtime" foundation that lets the same software run on multiple operating systems, presenting the application with a native look.

    IBM was not hiding its intentions to wipe out Microsoft's software from desktops all over the world.

    "In big organizations, a large, double-digit percentage of users don't require Windows Office suite licenses, meaning they can save a lot of money," said Handy, pointing to roles like customer call center operators or Web software programmers.

    In spring 2006, IBM launched an initiative which facilitated the customers' switch from Microsoft Exchange to their own Lotus Notes and the Linux-based Domino, offering them a rebate of as much as 20,000 U.S. dollars or 20 dollars per seat. There are at least 125 million Lotus Notes users world-wide.

    (Agencies)