Last week at LinuxCon, we presented a lot of great content for business leaders in the world of Linux and open source. (Al Gillen of IDC, Jeffrey Hammond of Forester, among others.). One of my favorite sessions was from Jean Staten Healy, Director of IBM Worldwide Linux Strategy who looked at Linux in the minds of CIOs and how it’s changed. Remember ten years ago, Linux made a $1 billion bet on Linux, and in so doing, helped create the momentum for Linux in the enterprise data center that we all enjoy today.  Back then, IBM concentrated on three areas: - Making Linux better – providing contributions to help improve Linux with respect to reliability, availability and serviceability - Enabling IBM products – both across major server lines and throughout the IBM middleware portfolio - Extending...

In Forrester analyst Jeffrey Hammond’s keynote today at LinuxCon he outlined the trends of OSS adoption in the enterprise.  (You can download the slides here.) According to Hammond, open source software has crossed the chasm and is firmly entrenched in enterprises around the world. That wasn’t a surprise to the 800 people in the LinuxCon audience. But his data did uncover something interesting: IT operations people are choosing Linux not just to lower costs but also to fuel innovation and support growth. Hammond shared data from three surveys Forrester has conducted over the last few years of IT operations directors/VPs and eclipse developers (who are heavy Java users).  In a 2008 survey, cost reduction was the driving motivation of CIOs. But one year later, while reducing costs is still important,  executives now view Linux as helping their companies go faster. They are choosing it for its flexibility and because it positions them for growth as we come out of...

We are extremely lucky to have the support of so many who are individual members of the Linux Foundation. Their  $99/year membership helps ensure we can continue  protecting, promoting and advancing Linux and support the work of Linus Torvalds himself. I did a poll of our members earlier this year and found, unsurprisingly, that even though members appreciate our many benefits, overwhelmingly people are members simply because they value Linux and want to support our programs so it remains free, strong and neutral.

Coming out of Computex, there’s been a lot of momentum for Meego,  the Linux-based platform that can power multiple computing devices, including handsets, netbooks, tablets, connected TVs and in-vehicle infotainment systems. Ibrahim Haddad, the Linux Foundation director of technology and alliances, has just published a new article, “An Introduction to the Meego Project.” It’s a great introductory piece on the platform, the benefits of the project and the role of the Linux Foundation. Below you will find an excerpt that I find especially interesting. I think Ibrahim captures the important points about MeeGo, many of which we raised in this recent Linux Foundation op-ed in BusinessWeek. 15 Facts You Must Know About MeeGo 1. Full open source project governed according to best...