Trevan McGee

Financial challenges and a loosely defined publishing strategy cited as reasons for relaunch.

Mandriva announced plans to refocus the company in lieu of mounting financial hardship and an unclear publishing strategy.

In the short-term, restructuring means cutting costs and drumming up new investors. The company has already added two new board members, Jean-Noël de Galzain, president of IF Research and Wallix and Bertrand Glineur, the former DSI of Crédit Foncier de France, and member of the GCE business board.

In the long-term, Mandriva Linux will be distributed by a sales force and integrated IT network and OEM partnerships in Europe, The Middle East, Brazil, Russia, India, and China. Their primary target industries will be education, industry, retail, and services.

"Mandriva finds itself at the heart of a European assembly of Open Source software players which will occur in the coming monthes," the company stated via press release.

In France, Mandriva's homebase, the company will partner with IF Research, parent company of Wallix the software editor.

"By bringing together IF Research and Mandriva, two highly complementary units, Mandriva will be able to strengthen its strategic position," said Mandriva CEO Arnaud Laprévote.