John Blau

The German subsidiaries of Hewlett-Packard Co. (HP) and Novell Inc. are teaming to offer Linux-based products to the country's huge public sector.

Tough economic times in Germany have made Linux and other open source software products appear tantalizing to local businesses. Yet many remain hesitant to dump their Microsoft Corp. software completely, if for no other reasons than it performs relatively well, and nearly everyone in corporate Germany uses it.

Asked about acquisitions, officials at the ERP giant said nothing is planned, but it's a possibility.

Deutsche Telekom AG, Europe's largest telecommunications company, has moved to strengthen its ability to provide bundled voice, data and video services by making an offer to buy back the shares of its Internet subsidiary that it doesn't already own.

German business software vendor SAP AG plans to relocate a number of administrative jobs from its German headquarters and European subsidiaries to Prague, in a move aimed at streamlining its operations and reducing costs.

One of Europe's biggest fixed-network operators is following the lead of its wireless counterparts in demanding a greater say in the design and service features of cordless phones and other wireless devices used in the home.

The idea sounds good on paper: Build a mesh network of wireless Wi-Fi base stations and let users roam around an entire city instead of providing limited connectivity in a handful of hot spots. But will it work?

In response to the growing number of viruses infecting computers, a spokesman for Germany's Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) has suggested that users consider alternatives to Microsoft Corp.'s Internet Explorer (IE) Web browser. But the agency did not recommend that users steer clear of Microsoft products, the spokesman said, refuting a press release issued Tuesday by browser developer Opera Software ASA.