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IBM has changed its attitude quite a bit over the last couple
of years. An article from the 'The Star Online' in Malaysia was
quoted in the May 28, 1998 edition of LWN.
The link is gone now, but at the time they said "IBM has no plans
for Linux."
Now, of course, IBM is embracing Linux and all things open source.
Irving Wladawsky Berger, IBM's vice president of technology is
quoted in this
News.com story as saying that the company already has invested
about $1 billion in Linux, "and you can expect that to grow in
2001." Its worthwhile to keep in mind at this point that IBM is not
a philanthropic organization. What they invest now they expect to
get back many times over. Clearly in May 1998 the company did not
see how to make money in the open source arena. Just as clearly,
now they do.
People have worried that VA Linux might suffer from competition by
companies like Dell and Gateway. IBM is going after the sorts of
Linux server sales that VA lives on. This makes IBM much more of a
threat to companies like VA Linux. From the 1960's into the early
1980's IBM dominated the computing arena in the same way that
Microsoft does today. It didn't always play nicely with others in
the past, and although it is playing nice now, that could change in
the future. For now, at least, Linux and the open source movement
are basking the largesse of an enormous company with resources far
beyond the dreams of most developers.
So far IBM is sticking to a multi-distribution approach. IBM used SuSE
on the IBM S/390 for the the Telia installation (covered last week.) An informed source
told us that the company will use Red Hat Linux for the
Shell International Exploration & Production B.V. facility's new
supercomputer. Will IBM decide to write its own distribution?
Probably not. The company undoubtedly realizes that Linux is not a
"one-size-fits-all" sort of operating system, and distribution's
alone are not money makers. As long as IBM can pick and chose among
distributions and find one that works for the company and its customers,
there is little incentive for them to write a distribution of their
own.
IBM's Linux offerings can be found at the Linux at IBM
page. Here's another new announcement detailing the company's latest "e-infrastructure software for
Linux." The most interesting part may be the announcement of a
version of the DB2 database management system for Linux clusters.
Also announced was DB2 and WebSphere for the S/390.
Keio University Network To Use Red Hat Linux,
IBM's Netfinity Servers. For now at least, Red Hat, Inc. and
IBM are working together on several fronts. We already mentioned
the Shell project.
This announcement from Red Hat about the Keio University project
is another example. Red Hat is supplying the operating system and
the support and service. IBM is suppying IBM Netfinity 4500R
servers, from Japan IBM Corporation. The servers will run Red Hat
Linux 7, each having minimum capacity of 5 terabytes.
Other Red Hat News. Red Hat has announced an expansion of its e-commerce offerings, centered
around Apache and the Stronghold web server.
The US Army, through Rymic Systems, will be using Red Hat's uClinux for a prototype Internet devices that will
diagnose ground vehicle performance for the US Army.
Kasenna MediaBase Available for SGI Linux
Servers. SGI announced that
Kasenna MediaBase is now available for Linux OS-based SGI
servers. Kasenna MediaBase provides streaming, content management
and content transfer supporting formats such as MPEG-1, MPEG-2,
RealVideo, RealAudio, QuickTime and MP3.
New Opera beta available for Linux. Opera Software has released
a new beta version of their Web browser for the Linux operating
system. It uses Qt for its interface, but statically linked
versions are available so you won't need to download Qt itself if
you don't have it or want to get it. The feature set for this
release appears more complete than the last one, with far fewer
listed annoying problems.
One annoying problem remains, however: the release is a timed beta. The
package remains fully functional only for 30 days.
LPI certificates ship.
It has taken far longer than anybody might have expected, but the Linux Professional Institute is finally
sending out certificates to people who have passed both of the
Level I exams. At this point, less than 100 certificates have gone
out, but they are widely distributed: there are recipients in the USA,
Germany, Austria, the UK, Belgium, Taiwan, Italy, and Ethiopia.
More Than 400,000 Linux Fans Choose Oracle. Oracle is reporting in a press release that
over 400,000 users have downloaded Oracle products for Linux
over the past three months.
Linux-based Browser Development Kit For
Embedded, Non-PC Applications.
ACCESS Co., Ltd. introduced the
NetFront 2.6 Linux Software Development Kit (SDK) for the
integration of ACCESS' NetFront browser into Linux-based Internet
appliances and other non-PC applications.
Sun completes acquisition of Cobalt. According to a
press announcement on the Cobalt web site, Sun's acquisition of
the server maker has been completed. Cobalt shares were exchanged 1
to 1, adjusted for the upcoming 2 for 1 split of Sun shares.
(Thanks to Steven C. Den Beste)
Press Releases:
Open Source Products
Unless specified, license is unverified.
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Progress Software Corporation (BEDFORD, Mass.) announced plans to
release the source code of its Application Development
Environment (ADE) under an open source licensing model.
Proprietary Products for Linux
- Fox on Linux is a graphical,
accounting software package.
-
Macadamian Technologies Inc. (OTTAWA, ONTARIO) announced the
availability of Syndeo Collaboration Suite version 2.2.
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MSC.Software Corp. (COSTA MESA, Calif.) announced that
MSC.Patran, part of the MSC.visualNastran enterprise family, is
now available on the Linux platform.
-
MSC.Software Corp. and SGI (COSTA MESA and MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.)
announced that MSC.Nastran on Linux will be available with SGI
Itanium based servers.
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Trend Micro Inc. (NEW ORLEANS) announced its InterScan
VirusWall gateway virus protection and content filtering solution
will be available soon, for Red Hat, SuSE, and Turbo Linux.
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Xi Graphics Inc. (DENVER) announced the release of version 6 of
its line of Accelerated-X Display Servers for laptop, desktop
and multi-head use. Runs on Linux or Solaris 8.
Products and Services Using Linux
-
Extended Systems (BOISE, Idaho) announced that its XTNDConnect
Server data synchronization and management solution now supports
industry-standard Internet e-mail, calendar and directory access
protocols; IMAP4 (Internet Message Access Protocol), SMTP (Simple Mail
Transfer Protocol), iCAL (Internet calendar), and LDAP (Lightweight
Directory Access Protocol).
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Lineo, Inc. (LINDON, Utah) announced the availability of Lineo
Embedix UI, a simple HTML interface and micro Web browser that integrates with the Embedix SDK.
Products with Linux Versions
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Computer Associates International, Inc. (ISLANDIA, N.Y.) announced
the availability of the Service Level Management Option for
Unicenter TNG and NetworkIT 2.0.
-
Enlighten Software Solutions, Inc. (SAN MATEO, Calif.) announced the
general availability of EnlightenDSM 4.2, with versions for
both Linux and FreeBSD.
-
Evoke Communications (ANAHEIM, Calif.) announced the launch of
Evoke Collaboration 4.5, an interactive collaborative meeting
tool.
-
Group 1 Software (LANHAM, Md.) announced the release of
MailStream Plus 6.3, its Presort Accuracy, Validation and
Evaluation (PAVE)-certified software solution.
- Interstar Technologies Inc.(MONTREAL, Canada) announced the release of LightningFAX 7.0,
an enterprise fax server solution.
-
MediaQ, Inc. (SANTA CLARA, Calif.) announced the MQ-1100, a
device that combines a 64-bit 2D graphics engine, LCD display
interface and USB device controller into a single device designed for
handheld platforms that require long-battery life.
-
NEON Systems, Inc. (SUGAR LAND, Texas) announced the general
availability of the J2EE compliant JDBC access for Shadow
Direct, an iWave Solution data access and legacy application
renewal software product, for use with IBM WebSphere.
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Oracle Corp. (REDWOOD SHORES, Calif.) announced the general
availability of Oracle9i Dynamic Services.
-
Paradigm3 Internet Software, Inc. (SAN JOSE, Calif.) announced an
agreement wherein Paradigm3 is licensing and integrating IBM's
WebSphere(1) Transcoding Publisher business-to-business integration
software in Paradigm3's next-generation browser-based application
for license management and e-commerce infrastructure.
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PyBiz (SAN JOSE, Calif.) announced a change of policy that makes
the use of XDisect, their high-speed XML indexing and search
engine free during the development phase of customer projects.
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Reef (NEW YORK) announced the launch of Internetware 2.1 at
the E-Business Conference and Expo.
-
UniComp Inc. (MARIETTA, Ga.) announced the launch of its freeware
version of UPSwin transaction processing software.
-
Verisity Ltd. (MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.) announced the latest release
of SureLint, version 2.0, which features faster, more accurate
race detection and finite state machine (FSM) analysis capabilities
and a new category of built-in Reuse Methodology Manual (RMM) checks.
The price is $15,000 U.S. for a floating LAN license.
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Zero-Knowledge Systems Inc. (MONTREAL) unveiled its newest version
of Freedom Internet Privacy Suite. Freedom 2.0 offers five
standard privacy and security features as a free download in addition
to enhanced paid premium services of untraceable private email and
anonymous private browsing and chat.
Java Products
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Inxight Software, Inc. (SANTA CLARA, Calif.) announced Table
Lens Server, a Java version of its Table Lens technology, a new
paradigm for graphical data analysis.
-
Sun Microsystems, Inc. (PALO ALTO, Calif.) announced Forte for
Java, release 2.0, the latest version of its cross-platform
development environment for building Internet services-based
applications.
-
Tower Technology Corporation (NEW YORK) announced the availability
of its TowerJ Java Virtual Machine (JVM) for Intel's family of
Itanium processors for server-class computers.
Books and Training
- O'Reilly (Sebastopol, CA) announced
JavaServer Pages, by Hans Bergsten.
-
Turbolinux, Inc. (SAN FRANCISCO) announced a partnership with
innominate training gmbh to offer Linux seminars on Turbolinux
enterprise products in Austria, Switzerland and seven education
centers around Germany starting in January, 2001. The three-seminar
series, (Linux Fundamentals, Linux Network Administration and Linux
System Administration) is designed to prepare participants for the LPI
(Linux Professional Institute) certification.
Partnerships
-
Forlink Software Corp. (BEIJING) announced the formation of an
alliance to deliver solutions and Internet applications deployed on
Intel Itanium architecture and Linux systems.
- Highlander Technologies (ROCKLEDGE,
Florida) and Eloquent Systems (Lamar, AR) have entered into an
agreement under which Highlander will distribute Eloquent's software
for boat manufacturers, which runs on Red Hat Linux.
-
Intrusion.com (RICHARDSON, Texas) announced it has entered into
Premier and Authorized Partner Reseller agreements with eight major
Latin American security product resellers to support sales of its
security product line, including its Linux-based PDS 2100 appliance.
-
Linux2order.Com (PROVO, UT) announced a partnership with the
U.K.-based open source services provider SlashTCO, Ltd.
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PalmPalm Technology (SANTA CLARA, Calif.), SK Telecom Central R&D
Laboratory, and Seoul National University announced plans to release a
beta version of the IMT-2000, a CDMA smart phone based on the
Embedded Linux operating system.
-
Rappore Technologies (SAN JOSE, Calif.) announced the formation of
a strategic relationship with Lineo to port Bluetooth
technology to Lineo's Embedix embedded Linux operating system.
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Red Hat, Inc. (RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C.) announced that
Cradle Technologies, Inc. is leveraging a broad set of Red
Hat's embedded technologies and services. The Cradle contract
includes consulting services and porting of Red Hat's GNUPro embedded
development tools, eCos and embedded Linux operating systems, to
Cradle's Universal Microsystem platform (UMS).
- RedWire Limited (LinuxUser Conference,
Chelsea Village, London, UK), an International IT Systems Integrator
with focus on Linux / Open Source Solutions, announced that MPT
Data Products Limited, has appointed RedWire as official Cyclades
E-Commerce Distributor for the UK and Ireland.
-
Streambox, Inc. and e-Appliance Corp. (SAN JOSE, Calif.) announced
a Business Partnership to provide an integrated high speed video on
demand solution based on the StreamboxTV ACT-L3 CODEC,
Streambox Carrier delivery system and e-Appliance's Linux-based
SuperScaler appliance server technologies.
-
TurboLinux Japan (BOSTON and TOKYO) and Infoteria
Corporation, the XML Software Company, announced an agreement to
bundle Infoteria's XML development platform, iPEX 2.0, with
Turbolinux Developer Edition.
Personnel
-
Ariel Corp. (CRANBURY, N.J.) announced the appointment of Robert
F. Burlinson as a member of the Board of Directors.
- Linux NetworX, Inc. (SALT LAKE CITY,
UTAH) named Robert Dunoskovic vice president of manufacturing.
-
Sendmail, Inc. (EMERYVILLE, Calif.) announced the appointment of
John Stormer to vice president of marketing.
Linux At Work
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Fastlane Software Systems (SAN JOSE, Calif.) announced they have
won a Federal Procurement award to deploy realtime network monitoring
systems at the Federal Aviation Administration. Fastlane's proposal
featured a turnkey approach which integrates their Xni software,
various (unspecified) open source elements, the Red Hat Linux
Operating system and Intel based hardware from Compaq Computer
Corporation.
- Inpharmatica (London, U.K.) is
using a 1,100 processor Linux cluster which is now involved in
discovering the drugs of tomorrow and in analysing the enormous
amounts of data now generated by the Human Genome Project.
-
RigSupplies.com (EDMONTON, ALBERTA) is a new website built by CSM
Systems Inc. for Western Canada's oil industry. The
MIRAWRE-LX, to be launched early in 2001, runs on Linux.
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Turbolinux, Inc. (SAN FRANCISCO) announced that Liderar
Seguros, an insurance company in Argentina, has deployed a
Turbolinux solution for secure business communications on the Internet
linking its 40 branch offices nationwide.
Section Editor: Rebecca Sobol.
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December 14, 2000
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