With Linux and Unix comprising about 70 percent of the server infrastructure and the remainder Windows, Morton said there is no clear migration path for Cars Plus but IQ Reports will be replaced with a more modern reporting mechanism.

Another part of the car rental system architecture is SCO Unix which was being relied on for printing management.

To overcome this dependency, Solutions First developed software to convert raw text to HTML, which is then converted to a form where it is printed at Thrifty's 48 branches. CUPS is now being used for print serving.

"We have one more step to do which is to get rid of UUCP to transfer data to and from the thrifty network," Morton said. "SCO will be out by the end of February and we can then use the WAN instead of dial-up."

The NRMA-owned Thrifty will now turn its attention to adding more value to the business by upgrading its Web site, also on Red Hat, and intranet.