“The message is coming out of the Linux community, loud and
clear: The open-source operating system is here to stay in the
United States and around the world.”
“There’s no shortage of evidence to support this, particularly
as large vendors such as IBM continue to embrace and actively
promote the platform. Federal agencies are also turning to Linux;
they recently called on Linux vendors to work aggressively toward
its certification and approval, thereby giving agencies a
much-wanted alternative to proprietary software, notably Windows
systems from Microsoft Corp….”
“All of this must be sending shudders down the spines of
even the most die-hard Windows and Unix backers, who have until now
dismissed Linux as a fringe system that was not appropriate for
mission-critical, enterprise-level applications. Some,
however, like IBM, which has its own Unix variant, are viewing
Linux as a strategic opportunity. Officials there said IBM is
positioning itself as the top provider of mission-critical software
for e-business customers.”