Red Hat, IBM Expand Linux Deal

jukal writes "From ZDNet "Red Hat and IBM have expanded a partnership, with Red Hat bringing its top-end version of Linux to all four of IBM's server lines and with IBM's services and software divisions supporting Red Hat's software. "" The NYTimes also has a version of the story, as does the News-Observer.

Comments

Re:Red Hat?

[tanveer1979]

"Red Hat is the Microsoft of the Linux world."

Shouldnt we stop it. Just because somebody is successful, we cannot make it M$ of linux world. Ask yourself this

• Does Redhat violate GPL
• Do they refuse to divulge source code
• Do they steal code and then commercialize it?

Agreed RPMS are common but whats wrong. People who want tar gz always get it, its all there. Just because something makes things for lesser mortals easier does not mean that it is EVIL. User freindly does not EQUATE with evil , neither does sucess, the sooner people learn it the better

The Upside and Downside of the IBM Deal

[hillct]

It has always seemed to me that there is more money to be made in services than RedHat has ever been able to squeeze out of them. Every hardware manufacturer of any significant size derives large percentages of their revenues from their Global Services (enterprise consulting) divisions so why couldn't Redhat manage it? IBM seems to think they can do it bu supporting and integrating the same products redhat was.

Perhaps the key is that the hardware manufacturers are offering the services as a value added feature of their core products. This raises the question, why did VA Systems abandon Linux based PC hardware in favor of becoming a software shop, and at that, not even one that provides Linux software integration consulting? Well, in the case of VA it was probably due to their content holdings, but again, if the combination of hardware sales and software integration services can work for IBM, why wouldn't it work for Redhat or (in the past) VA? It just seems to me that, while having IBM enter what is esentially a reseller agreement, is not the most lucrative means for generating a revenue stream from Redhat's distribution; although it does have vary low overhead, which is parhaps a key for redhat at this point.

--CTH

Re:The Upside and Downside of the IBM Deal

[duffbeer703]

IBM Global Services does "Best of Breed" consulting. They push whatever will do the job (and get comissions for the salesmen). If you want Sun, IBM will sell you Sun. If you think RS/6000's and DB2 are shit, they'll sell you Windows 2000 and Oracle.

Red Hat and VA is/was a Linux-focused company. Nobody is interested in having an evangelist/salesman push Linux as a solution to all problems. With the IBM deal, RedHat gets to sell services to a more diversified group of companies.

Also consider that it is time-consuming and difficult to get on government acquisition contracts. IBM is on all state contracts and most federal agency contracts. So through IBM, RedHat can access the massive gov't IT market without getting on contract!