Levanta

Levanta was a San Mateo, California-based technology company focused on Linux management and data virtualization. It began in 1998 as Linuxcare, founded in San Francisco by Dave Sifry, Arthur Tyde, and Dave LaDuke. The original business was designed to address a practical barrier to the adoption of Linux in commercial environments: organizations often had difficulty obtaining dependable technical assistance because support was distributed across volunteer-run newsgroups, mailing lists, and websites. Linuxcare sought to organize experienced Linux specialists into a professional, continuously available support operation, effectively positioning itself as a commercial help desk for the emerging operating system. The company expanded beyond telephone and online support. Its activities included Linuxcare Labs, which tested and certified hardware for Linux compatibility; Linuxcare University, which provided training; Professional Services, which supplied consultants; and a research and development function aimed at improving open-source software. Its training work included engagements for technical-support and sales-engineering personnel at companies such as SGI and Motorola Computer Products. Linuxcare also supported early Linux Professional Institute activity, while employing or collaborating with developers associated with major open-source projects including PHP, Apache, ipchains, Samba, and rsync. Linuxcare gained visibility during the late-1990s growth of commercial Linux. In 1999, Dell distributed Red Hat Linux on desktop computers with coupons for a limited number of Linuxcare support calls. In December of that year, Linuxcare acquired Ottawa-based consulting firm The Puffin Group and Italian company Prosa. The company was preparing for a public offering, but its plans were disrupted after the removal of chief executive Fernand Sarrat and chief information officer Doug Nassaur, followed by a reduction of roughly one-third of its workforce. Merger discussions with Turbolinux began in January 2001 but were abandoned in May of that year. After withdrawing its IPO registration, Linuxcare shifted away from a support-led model and concentrated on Linux-based software. Over the following years, it became considerably smaller, replaced much of its staff and board, moved to San Mateo, obtained additional venture financing, and changed its name to Levanta in 2004. The new name came from its flagship software product and reflected a more focused enterprise-management strategy. Under the Levanta identity, the company no longer operated primarily as a Linux technical-support provider. Levanta subsequently moved from software toward a hardware-appliance model. In 2005 it introduced Intrepid, described as a Linux management appliance capable of provisioning machines, controlling changes, and managing selected content across multiple Linux distributions. The Intrepid M was followed by the high-availability Intrepid X, which offered warm-failover functionality. Product naming later distinguished systems using external NAS storage served by a NetApp filer from systems with internal storage: the former retained the Intrepid M designation, while the latter became Intrepid S. Later Intrepid functionality included monitoring of managed systems and the appliance itself, together with a policy engine that could automatically reboot or rebind managed machines to reserved replacement systems when specified rules required it. Levanta ceased operations as an employer on March 31, 2008, when it laid off all employees and sold its intellectual property. The Linuxcare name was subsequently repurchased in 2009 and used by a newly revived Linuxcare LLC based in San Francisco. That later entity is distinct from the Levanta company described here. Levanta therefore represents a short-lived phase in the evolution of a Linux-services business into an enterprise Linux-management software and appliance vendor.

Levanta originated as Linuxcare, a Linux support company founded in San Francisco in 1998 by Dave Sifry, Arthur Tyde, and Dave LaDuke. Its initial concept was to provide dependable, around-the-clock commercial assistance for Linux users and organizations. At the time, Linux expertise was often found in volunteer communities, mailing lists, newsgroups, and independent websites rather than in a unified professional support channel. Linuxcare aimed to recruit prominent open-source developers and support specialists, allowing them to work on their projects while also contributing technical expertise to customer support. The company developed a broader services structure around this mission. Linuxcare Labs tested and certified hardware for Linux compatibility, Linuxcare University delivered training, Professional Services supplied consulting, and research and development worked on open-source improvements. Training engagements included work for corporate technical-support and sales-engineering teams. The company was also an important early supporter of Linux Professional Institute activity. Employees and contributors included figures associated with PHP, Apache, ipchains, Samba, rsync, SmoothWall, and the Linux Gazette support community. Commercial Linux adoption gave Linuxcare opportunities to build partnerships. In 1999, Dell shipped some desktop systems with Red Hat Linux preinstalled and included coupons for a limited number of Linuxcare support calls. Linuxcare also expanded through acquisitions, buying The Puffin Group in Ottawa and Prosa in Italy in December 1999. It prepared for an IPO, but the removal of CEO Fernand Sarrat and CIO Doug Nassaur was followed by a workforce reduction of approximately one-third. The public-offering plan was ultimately withdrawn. A potential combination with Turbolinux was discussed in early 2001 but did not proceed. After the IPO withdrawal, Linuxcare changed its strategy. It reduced its scale, replaced much of its workforce and board, moved to San Mateo, attracted new venture capital, and focused on Linux-based software rather than general technical support. In 2004 it adopted the Levanta name, taken from its flagship software product. The rebranded business pursued enterprise infrastructure management and later shifted toward an appliance model. The central product family was Intrepid. Introduced in 2005, the Linux management appliance supported provisioning, change control, and limited content management for multiple Linux distributions. Levanta subsequently offered the high-availability Intrepid X, which provided warm failover. Product naming evolved as storage configurations were clarified: Intrepid M referred to systems using external NAS storage provided through a NetApp filer, while internally stored systems were designated Intrepid S. Later releases added monitoring for managed machines and the appliance itself, as well as a policy engine that could automatically reboot or rebind systems to reserved replacements according to administrative rules. Levanta's corporate life ended on March 31, 2008, when every employee was laid off and the company's intellectual property was sold. The Linuxcare brand was repurchased in 2009 and later used by Linuxcare LLC in San Francisco. That later revival should not be conflated with Levanta, which was the successor brand created during Linuxcare's software-and-appliance phase.

• 2008

  Operations end

  [1]Levantaen.wikipedia.org

  Levanta lays off all employees and sells its intellectual property on March 31.

• 2005

  Intrepid launches

  [1]Levantaen.wikipedia.org

  Levanta introduces its Linux management appliance for provisioning and administrative control.

• 2004

  Linuxcare becomes Levanta

  [1]Levantaen.wikipedia.org

  The company adopts the Levanta name as it moves toward Linux-management software.

• 2001

  Turbolinux merger discussions end

  [1]Levantaen.wikipedia.org

  Merger discussions that began in January are abandoned in May.

• 1999

  Dell support promotion

  [1]Levantaen.wikipedia.org

  Dell bundles coupons for Linuxcare support calls with certain desktop computers shipped with Red Hat Linux.

• 1999

  Consulting acquisitions

  [1]Levantaen.wikipedia.org

  Linuxcare acquires The Puffin Group and Prosa.

• 1998

  Linuxcare is founded

  [1]Levantaen.wikipedia.org

  Dave Sifry, Arthur Tyde, and Dave LaDuke establish Linuxcare in San Francisco to provide professional Linux support.

Enterprise Linux infrastructure-management provider, evolving from professional support and consulting into appliance-based provisioning, change control, monitoring, high availability, and policy-driven administration.

• Linux management appliance · 2005

  Intrepid

  Levanta's flagship Linux management appliance family. Intrepid was designed to administer multiple Linux distributions from a centralized platform, supporting machine provisioning, change control, and limited content management. Later functionality included monitoring of managed systems and the appliance itself, together with policy-driven automation for rebooting or assigning machines to reserved replacement systems.

• Linux management appliance with external storage

  Intrepid M

  An Intrepid configuration associated with external NAS storage served by a NetApp filer. The designation was refined during the product line's evolution, distinguishing this storage architecture from versions carrying their own internal storage.

• High-availability Linux management appliance

  Intrepid X

  A high-availability variant of the Intrepid platform. Its distinguishing capability was warm failover, intended to improve continuity of management services in enterprise Linux environments.

• Linux management appliance with internal storage

  Intrepid S

  The designation used for Intrepid models equipped with their own internal storage after Intrepid M was reserved for configurations using external NAS storage through a NetApp filer.

• 2008

  Wind-down and intellectual-property saleOther

  Background

  Levanta had become a specialized Linux-management company with a hardware-appliance product line.

  Action taken

  The company laid off all employees and sold its intellectual property on March 31.

  Aftermath

  Levanta ceased operating. The Linuxcare name was later repurchased and used by a separate revived Linuxcare LLC.

  Source

• 2005

  Launch of the Intrepid applianceProduct launch

  Background

  Levanta was moving from a software-led model toward a combined software and hardware-appliance offering.

  Action taken

  It introduced Intrepid as a Linux management appliance supporting provisioning, change control, and limited content management across multiple distributions.

  Aftermath

  The product family expanded with high-availability, storage-specific, monitoring, and policy-automation capabilities.

  Source

• 2004

  Rebrand as LevantaStrategy

  Background

  The company had become smaller, replaced much of its staff and board, relocated to San Mateo, and obtained new venture financing.

  Action taken

  Linuxcare changed its corporate name to Levanta, using the name of its flagship software product.

  Aftermath

  The company continued developing Linux-management technology and no longer focused on providing general Linux technical support.

  Source

• 2001

  Shift from Linux support to softwareStrategy

  Background

  Linuxcare withdrew its IPO registration after leadership disruption and a major workforce reduction.

  Action taken

  The company moved away from its original technical-support model and concentrated on Linux-based software.

  Aftermath

  The smaller business later adopted the Levanta name and developed enterprise Linux-management products.

  Source

1. 1Levantaen.wikipedia.org