Linux Update

While we await announcements of Linux desktops from a number of potential sources – including Sun, Red Hat, SuSE, and OEOne (Corel spin-out) – and watch corporate and government interest in the Linux alternative continue to grow, we noted with interest:

Turbolinx Becomes A Division Of SRA Japan

Turbolinux, the troubled Linux distribution that in spite of a market cap that once exceeded $250 million was on the block for a few million dollars, went to SRA Japan, an important regional software distributor and system integrator.  This seems to make good sense, since nearly all of Turbolinux’s success was in the Asian market.  The company’s headquarters will move to Tokyo, although it will continue to maintain an office in California.

Turbolinux’s PowerCockpit server provisioning software does not go to SRA, but it is unclear just who will be running this business, which will also require renaming.  It seems likely that it might be sold to another Linux software company.  Linuxcare, who has now become an enterprise Linux software company, might be a good, if ironic, candidate.  At one time, Turbolinux planned to purchase Linuxcare, but the deal crumbled as the Linux market (and the technology market itself) plummeted.

Linux Government Watch

Our friends at The Register note that another European government is considering Linux, this time Sweden.  This is in addition to favorable consideration in Denmark, Norway, Finland, the UK, Germany, Korea, and China for at least some Linux installations.  Governments seem to be attracted to both the cost savings possible as well as the open source platform rules.

Our own federal government is using open source, but is ambivalent about it, concerned about whether Open Source is more or less secure than proprietary code.  You might want to read an InfoWorld Community Forum discussion on the subject with Tony Stanco, an expert from the Cyberspace Policy Institute at George Washington University at http://forums.infoworld.com/WebX?230@@.ee7632a.  

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