IBM to push Linux in business world

Adam Pasick

NEW YORK: The world's most famously buttoned-down software firm wants to

bring 'Peace, Love and Linux' to the business world.

That is to say, IBM Corp. is broadening its backing of Linux, a rival of

operating systems such as Microsoft Corp.'s Windows and Sun Microsystems'

Solaris, beyond Web servers to the lucrative business applications sector.

IBM, which launched a multi-million dollar "Peace, Love &

Linux" advertising campaign earlier this year, will announce on July 25

that it is including Linux support for the first time in its mainstay iSeries

servers aimed at small and medium-sized businesses.

IBM, along with partners like German software giant SAP AG, has boosted its

business programs for Linux by 30 percent in the past year.

Free to tinker



Linux is an open-source operating system, meaning its core workings, called the
kernel, are freely available to developers, while operating systems like Windows

are kept under lock and key.

According to Linux's license, anyone can make changes to Linux, as long as

the modifications are freely shared. IBM may not make money from Linux alone -

because of the license anyone can make a copy and distribute it freely - but the

company hopes that embracing Linux will help it sell hardware and services.

Big Blue's Linux push also stands as a threat to its rivals, which have their

own proprietary operating systems. "It's going to open up new markets and

put pressure on high-end Unix over time," said D H Brown analyst Pierre

Fricke. "Sun is probably at the most risk, considerably more than Microsoft

is."

Sun's Solaris, like Linux, grew out of the Unix operating system, long a

mainstay in the industry. Sun earlier this year made it possible for programmers

to inspect Solaris' inner workings, but the code is not free and is subject to

stringent licensing requirements.

Aiming for mainstream



Linux has made huge strides in the server market, especially the machines
serving up Web pages. Research firm IDC forecasts Linux will growth faster

through 2004 than any other server operating system.

But not everyone has been quick to embrace the upstart. "Linux has been

grappling over the past few years with getting acceptance in the

mainstream," said IDC's Stephen Graham, "with most companies using it

for niche categories and back-room functions."

Including Linux on its eServer iSeries will likely further IBM's efforts to

get more businesses using Linux, according to Salomon Smith Barney analyst John

Jones. "It is the most prolific application machine," he said. Some

700,000 of the iSeries are already installed, according to IBM, which counts

about 250,000 active customers for the iSeries.

IBM said the servers will not initially come with their own version of Linux

- the software package will need to be ordered from companies such as Germany's

SuSE Linux AG or North Carolina-based Red Hat Inc. Kim Stevenson, vice president

of marketing for the iSeries, said that Linux distributions may be bundled with

the server in the future, as part of a promotional deal.

(C) Reuters Limited 2001.