Sybase Inc. will release this quarter a beta Linux version of SQL Anywhere Studio, the vendor's mobile and embedded database system, with general availability likely by midyear, the company will disclose today. Sybase is developing the new release on Linux from Red Hat Software Inc., but will likely ship versions of the database for versions of Linux from Caldera Systems Inc. and other vendors.

Demand for a Linux product for X86-based computers has been particularly strong among developers building embedded applications--such as software for handheld devices and point-of-sale systems--with SQL Anywhere at their core, says product management director Chris Kleisath. "That is where we would likely see the vast majority of our Linux customers," he says.

The beta copy of the Linux version of SQL Anywhere can be downloaded at http://www.sybase.com/products/anywhere/linuxbeta. Sybase will also announce today that SQL Anywhere Studio is available immediately for Solaris, HP-UX, and IBM AIX Unix systems, priced at $399 for one user and $999 for five users