AsiaBizTech: Release of Windows 2000 a Great Business Opportunity, TurboLinux CEO Says [in Q&A]

“The release of Windows 2000 affords us a good opportunity,”
Cliff Miller, chairman, CEO and director of U.S.-based TurboLinux
Inc., said in flawless Japanese during a recent trip to Japan. “And
we want to make the most of this chance to let businesses find out
for themselves what the best things about Linux are.”

“Miller acknowledges that Linux is still underdeveloped in some
aspects, but he says that with some improvements, such as better
clustering software, corporations will have the confidence to adopt
it for use in their core business operations. He also says that
from now on the main focus of his company’s efforts will be shifted
away from just distributing Linux and more onto the creation of
high value-added software products.”

“Q: Compared with the United States, the use of
Windows NT spread quickly here in Japan over a very short period of
time. This may sound a bit critical, but it could be that Japanese
users are more easily influenced by whatever the current industry
trends and fads are. Do you think that tendency will play a part in
making Linux more widely used here?

A: I think so. As far as I can see, Japan has a
“boom culture” in which as soon as something becomes popular, it
spreads very rapidly. That observation can be applied not only to
Windows NT, but also to Macintosh products. At one time, Mac grew
to command a whopping 15 percent to 20 percent share of the market
here. I think there’s a possibility that Linux will suddenly take
off in a similar way. We can probably look forward to faster growth
here than in the United States.”

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