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The OS Community Embraces IBM

Posted by michael on from the we-don't-need-another-hero dept.

Joel Dutt writes "IBM... 'the corporation known as Big Blue has seen its reputation in the global open-source community shift from suspect sugar daddy to knight in shining armor.' Newsweek has an interesting article in its latest issue, discussing the relationship between the open-source community and the corporate giant."

3 of 305 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Not to be a troll by The_Mystic_For_Real · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Open Source is not a panacea, requirement for life, or any sort of deity. Therefore, it seems foolish to treat it like one.

    Of course they are a company, with shareholders and the the desire to make a profit. So are Red Hat, VA Linux, and Mandrake.

    There is nothing wrong with a company supporting Linux, that's exactly what Linux needs to bring it to the attention of the general public. IBM has essentially been advertising Linux for a while now. They've put more money into Linux than pretty much anyone else has. This is what Linux has lacked: big money supporting Linux.

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    Thank you.

  2. Show me the money by sql*kitten · · Score: 5, Insightful

    IBM, last time I checked, made something like 45% of its revenue from hardware and 35% from consulting. Software accounts for a paltry 15% (the rest they make from finance). IBM is not in the software business, really. They make AIX so they can sell RS/6000s. They make VisualAge so people can write desktop applications for DB/2 databases, and they make DB/2 so people will buy mainframes. The consulting part of IBM is fairly vendor-neutral; I've worked with them to implement BEA WebLogic on Solaris instead of WebSphere on AIX for example.

    Software is an overhead for IBM. It's a distraction from hardware and services. Open Source allows IBM to sell hardware and services without having to pay to develop the software to run on it and/or implement on behalf of customers. That's the reason, and the only reason, IBM is into Linux.

  3. Rubicon of Open Source: IBM Supporting Linux by reporter · · Score: 5, Insightful
    The key point in the history of open source is IBM embracing Linux. Without the support of IBM, most commercial companies simply saw Linux as interesting software with reliability approaching a toy. Regardless of whether this perception is true, once IBM supported Linux and shipped mainframes with it installed, commercial companies were willing to entertain the idea of running Linux in their datacenters. These companies have faith that even if any problem with Linux arise, then IBM would surely fix the problem within 24 hours. Even if Linux were initially unreliable, IBM would ensure that it has 6 sigma reliability. Such is the reputation and commitment of IBM.

    The rest is open-source history.

    Interestingly, IBM's embracing Linux is one of the factors eliminating Sun as a viable competitor in the market for highend servers. 6-sigma Linux, backed by an army of free programmers and advice-givers, versus closed proprietary Solaris is tantamount to a battle between a F-22 (stealth fighter) and a Mig 17. No contest.