Through the auction, SCO plans to secure additional operating funds in the two lines of business, believing that the auction will maximize the value of an asset sale and ensure ongoing development of the businesses. Several investment groups have expressed interest in acquiring the assets via public auction, SCO said.

"The auction, we believe, is the best approach for us to move forward and also to exit bankruptcy," said Jeff Hunsaker, president and COO of SCO Operations. Should the auction not produce any buyers, the company plans to continue with the two product lines. Featured in the mobile business is SCO Mobile Server, which is for mobile application development. It is to be renamed SCO Cloud Server.

The auction process is expected to ensure that future revenue from the OpenServer and mobile businesses stays with those assets and provides an uninterrupted path forward for customers, products, and employees, SCO said. The minimum bid for the two businesses is approximately US$6 million, although each could be purchased separately, Hunsaker said.

as its core Unix business declined in the wake of the rise of Linux. over Big Blue's support of Linux, charging misappropriation of trade secrets and unfair competition.

A judge in August 2007 ruled that SCO was not even the owner of UnixWare and Unix copyrights, but that Novell, who SCO also sued, was. SCO has appealed that ruling and looks to continue its legal claims.