Mandriva Corporate Desktop 4.0

Mandriva has just launched a beta program for Mandriva Corporate Desktop 4.0 which aims for business users seeking early access to the latest Mandriva enterprise technology. The program is designed to allow business users to test Mandriva on their hardware and with their software needs, and to collaborate with Mandriva's development team to insure stability and broad hardware support.

Here's the email message i got from Mandriva's newsletter:

Mandriva is pleased to announce the launch of the beta program of
Corporate Desktop 4.0, the brand new version of its enterprise-dedicated work station.

Ergonomic, secure, comprehensive, easy to use and to administer: by consulting its corporate clients and by exploiting its experience in the desktop area, Mandriva developed Corporate Desktop 4.0, a distribution that can be installed in less than 10 minutes and extensively customized thanks to a new post-installation tool.

Mandriva emphasizes the key points for business: directory administration and integration, mobility, security and ergonomics.

* Directory administration and integration: To complement directory-based authentication, Corporate Desktop 4 includes a new tool to set KDE user rights from an LDAP directory.

* Mobility: Simplified configuration of secure remote access (DrakVPN), simplified configuration of 3G data cards in order to remain efficient wherever you are. Mandriva also plans to release Corporate Desktop 4.0 on a secured USB key, in order for you to be able to access your data and your work environment anywhere at any
time.

* Security: Data encryption, high security authentication (smart cards and fingerprint readers supported), secure connections, interactive firewall.

* Ergonomics: A completely new design for the desktop, integration of the latest 3D technlologies (Xgl, AIGLX and Metisse), and the ease of use and accessibility you expect from a Mandriva desktop.

Mandriva also takes advantage of its partnerships with many hardware vendors and software publishers to offer extensive hardware compatibility and a complete range of ISV software. Thus, Intel, HP, NVIDIA, Arkeia, BitDefender, VMware and many more participated in the development of the product and were naturally integrated in the
Corporate Desktop 4.0 distribution.

Like every Mandriva product, Corporate Desktop 4.0 comes with an extensive range of services: long term security and bugfix maintenance lifespan (5 years), Web support, professionnal phone support, and expert consulting services to develop particular projects and help you migrate to Linux.

Corporate Desktop 4.0 works perfectly in a mixed Linux / Microsoft Windows environment and will blend easily into your network with its support for common systems of authentication, access to shared data, and support for collaborative work solutions.

To participate in the evaluation program, visit:
http://corpo.mandriva.com/xwiki/bin/view/CD4/

To register and download the beta:
https://my.mandriva.com/cd4/trial/

As a complement to its desktop solution, Mandriva offers server and park administration solutions: Corporate Server 4.0 and Mandriva Pulse.

If you are lucky, you might even get a free license (depends on your organization level and also your participants on the testing phase).