Tarantella signs deal with Microsoft

Internet software company Tarantella has strengthened its relationship with Microsoft by signing an agreement to license the Redmond giant's Remote Desktop Protocol technologies. The move sets Tarantella on course to clash with thin client vendor Citrix.

Internet software company Tarantella has strengthened its relationship with Microsoft by signing an agreement to license the Redmond giant's Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) technologies. The move sets Tarantella on course to clash with thin client vendor Citrix.

RDP is Microsoft's built-in protocol for remote access to Windows-based applications which run on a Windows Terminal Server, according to David Hamilton, group product manager of Management Technologies at the company.

"Licensing RDP will allow Tarantella to deliver Windows-based applications to a wide variety of client desktops," he said, adding that Microsoft is pleased to see Tarantella support RDP.

Tarantella, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Caldera arm SCO, also makes products which offer access to Microsoft Windows-based mainframes, AS/400, Linux and Unix.

The company claimed this latest agreement will provide businesses with the "most efficient solution for web-enabling Windows-based applications", and said it planned to include technology based on the RDP standard in future releases of its web-enabling software.

Mike Orr, president of Tarantella, said: "Now Tarantella customers can be assured that they will quickly have access to the latest Microsoft features and product enhancements."

Dan Kusnetzky, vice president of system software research at IDC, said the agreement puts Tarantella in a stronger position.