“IBM is refocusing its corporate-wide Internet software efforts
around Linux, a move it hopes will legitimize the open-source
movement for large corporations while reviving its own flagging
enterprise server business. In the process, IBM has dismantled the
four-year-old Internet Division and has established a new Linux
group under the Enterprise Server Division. The new group will be
headed by former Internet division executive Irving
Wladawsky-Berger, who will report to Sam Palmisano, senior vice
president and group executive of ESD.”
“In an interview Monday, Palmisano said that the open standards
of Linux represent the same opportunity the Internet did. “We’ve
been thinking about this for a while,” he said. “Linux is an
evolving, high-growth [market] and we wanted to get there quickly
in the early adoption phase.”
“IBM will “Linux-enable” all of its hardware platforms as
well as port applications and middleware to Linux. In addition, it
will work closely with the open-source community to develop and
promote standards and make certain of its technologies available as
open source. Palmisano said he believes large corporate
customers will consolidate their operating systems around Windows
NT, Unix and a proprietary system like MVS. “Our vision is that we
can create a flexible environment in Unix,” he said.”