San Jose, Aug 10 – The Linux community received a boost today
with the opening of the Linux Fund, the first corporate-sponsored
fund devoted exclusively to Linux developers. The fund will be
inaugurated at the Linux World Expo, taking place in San Jose,
California from August 9-12. “The purpose of this Fund,” says
Benjamin Cox, the Chief Executive Penguin of the Linux Fund,” is to
create a carefully managed financial resource for Linux developers
worldwide. To our knowledge it is the first non-profit fund that is
devoted exclusively to Linux development.”
Linux is the much touted operating system that is the brainchild
of former Helsinki University student, Linus Torvalds. Linux is
known for its security, scalability, and reliability. Its share of
the server operating system market has grown from 7% to 17% in the
past year, while that of its largest competitor, Microsoft (NASDAQ
MSFT) Windows NT, remained stable at 36%.
The Linux Fund’s first product will be a credit card launched on
August 10 at the Linux World Expo, in the Penguin Computing booth.
The card features Tux, the lovable Linux penguin, and is being
backed by Linux Fund partner, MBNA America. This product is being
launched with the assistance of Penguin Computing, which is
donating T-shirts and trade show space.
Cardholders will receive discounts of up to 8% on Linux systems
from DCG, Inc.; Indybox; Workstation 2000; and others. In addition,
the first 5000 people to sign up on the web and use their new Linux
Fund credit cards will receive a free T-shirt from the fund.
The fund is building a development board which will begin
allocating grants by early next year. This part of the Linux Fund
is headed by Mark Willey of Penguin Computing. The Linux Fund is
structured so that money that is ear-marked for development will be
given away exclusively by developers to their peers, without any
corporate intervention. “There is quite a bit of interest in
corporate America for sponsoring such a fund,” says Willey. “This
suggests that Linux is becoming a mainstream operating system,
completely enterprise-ready.”
Penguin Computing is one of the largest and fastest-growing
manufacturers of Linux hardware solutions. The company was founded
in 1998 by Sam Ockman, a well-know Linux community leader. Penguin
Computing sells to such high profile Internet companies as Excite
(NASDAQ XCIT), salon.com (NASDAQ SALN), E-toys (NASDAQ ETYS), and
Ebook Systems, and to such Fortune 1000 companies as Boeing (NYSE
BA), Paramount Pictures (NASDAQ PARA), Cisco (NASDAQ CSCO), and
Motorola (NYSE MOT). “We are pleased to support the Linux Fund,”
said Allison Huynh, Vice President of Penguin Computing. “We are
deeply committed to the Linux community and want to do everything
we can to contribute to the development of Linux.”
The Linux Fund will expand its promotional product offering by
the end of the year. The Linux Fund will soon be accepting
donations of time and money. Inquiries can be made to
Donations@linuxfund.org.
For more information, please e-mail the Linux Fund Chief
Executive Penguin, Benjamin Cox, at bjc@linuxfund.org or call us at
+1 503 892 3333. The Linux Fund is headquartered in Portland,
Oregon, and will be primarily operating over the Internet. If you
want to help or learn more about the fund, check out our web site
at http//www.linuxfund.org.