Linux Flash: Mandrakesoft Acquires Conectiva

[SeanQuinn]

http://www.mandrakesoft.com/company/press/pr?n=/pr/corporate/2539

Paris, France; Curitiba, Brazil; February 24th , 2005 - Mandrakesoft, the number one European Linux company, today announced a definitive agreement to acquire Conectiva, the number one Linux company in Brazil and Latin America. This acquisition is expected to increase significantly Mandrakesoft's size and R&D capabilities.

Conectiva, founded in 1995, employs 60 people and has offices in Curitiba, São Paulo and Manaus, Brazil. The company had 1.7 million EUR (2.2 million USD) of revenues in their latest audited fiscal year, and reached break-even during the latest fiscal half-year. Conectiva has gained significant recognition for its adaptive approach to technology development for corporations, communities and large partners in the communication and technology sector in Latin America.

Providing Linux services for corporations since its inception, Conectiva has a wide range of projects including ATM and teller solutions for financial institutions, infrastructure for the government, and a complete range of Linux solutions sold through major retail stores in Brazil. Conectiva's technical achievements are also well known in the worldwide Linux community. Among them, the RPM port of apt-get (apt-rpm) and the new Smart Package Manager are just two examples of Conectiva's accomplishments. In this context, Conectiva has long been sought by larger technology and communication industry players to develop specialized solutions, including embedded devices.