“IBM, already a prominent Linux backer, has taken the next step
and is pumping up its open-source initiatives. Indeed, Big Blue
plans to offer some of its own technologies to developers under an
open-source umbrella.”
“IBM would not provide details on its plans, although a
spokesman acknowledges an open-source Web site will be ready
“soon.” But the company did say its plan is an outgrowth of
alphaWorks, an IBM Web site that has offered free technology
previews to developers since 1996.”
“With open source, why is alphaWorks relevant?” Wolpert
asks. “If it’s open source, it’s a product. So when technologies
graduate, we’ll put them onto a true open-source site, like
Apache’s. This is a new thing for IBM, and it took a lot of
corporate courage. There were legal issues we had to resolve.”