Australian Linux specialist Moreton Bay Ventures has been snapped up by acquisitive U.S.-based vendor Lineo Inc., a company keen to squeeze the Linux operating system onto small handheld devices.
Based in Brisbane, with a satellite office in the U.S., Moreton Bay Ventures specializes in using Linux for VPNs (virtual private networks) and in embedded systems.
It is the company's experience in translating the open-source operating system for Motorola Inc.'s ColdFire chips that is likely to have most attracted Lineo, which is working to adapt Linux for non-PC devices.
Indeed, Lineo officials confirmed Moreton Bay Ventures' own product line, servers that can set up VPNs and handle several network security tasks, will eventually be phased out because Lineo is focusing more on software than hardware.
Moreton Bay Ventures is Lineo's fourth acquisition since February. Financial terms of the purchase were not disclosed.