The UnitedLinux group has released the first version of its standards-based Linux operating system for business users.

UnitedLinux 1.0 will form the core of products to be sold by the group's members which include SCO, SuSE, Turbolinux and Conectiva.

It is the result of work by the members to streamline Linux development to create a standard distribution of the operating system.

"UnitedLinux has successfully reached its first major milestone by delivering version 1.0 according to the schedule laid out last spring when the group was formed," said Paula Hunter, general manager of UnitedLinux, in a statement.

The vendors behind the alliance also announced products for the platform on Tuesday at the Comdex trade show in Las Vegas.

SuSE Linux said that its Enterprise Server 8 will be available in December for $749, while Enterprise Server 7 users can upgrade for $129.

SCO's Linux 4.0 Server is now shipping, and a desktop version of the operating system will be available in January, the company said. Linux 4.0 Server will sell for between $599 and $2,199 per server.

UnitedLinux explained that version 1.0 has been enhanced for business environments. It includes software and tools to build server farms, scheduler enhancements and asynchronous Input/Output to minimize waiting on I/O in large systems.

There are also improvements for high availability, support for Kerberos to improve security, a set of community security enhancements called Bastille, and support for the Journaling File System and the Reiser File System.

UnitedLinux said that version 1.0 will have access to a channel of more than 16,000 resellers and a global pre- and post-sales support team.

Details of training and certification programmes will be announced at a later date.