"If asked to name significant Linux organizations, Fujitsu Ltd.
might not be a company that comes immediately to mind. But to
underestimate the value Fujitsu brings to the Linux ecosystem would
be erroneous: the world's fourth-largest IT services provider and
Japan's top IT company has a big stake in Linux, and some big-name
Linux customers.
"Just how big? Currently, Fujitsu is the number-two server
vendor contributor to Linux kernel development, behind IBM. Their
Linux deployments include the replacement of existing mainframes at
the Japan Ministry of Justice and the Tokyo Stock Exchange--systems
that are recognized as being among the strongest Linux deployments
in the world in terms of size and reliability.
"So how did Fujitsu, a company with a strong history selling
mainframes with proprietary operating systems, become such a leader
in the Linux ecosystem? Like many other vendors, it was the
customer who guided the way."