VanLUG Email Archive
Dave Michelson (dmichelson@ieee.org)
Sun, 12 Sep 1999 02:36:36 -0700
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release Fri, Sep 10, 1999
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THE OPEN SOURCE MOVEMENT IS WINNING COMMERCIAL SUPPORT
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Software developers, scientists, and engineers have traditionally
preferred open-source software, including such well-known packages as
the GNU programming tools, Linux, FreeBSD, Apache, and Sendmail. Open
source gives programmers access to the source code and the ability to
fix problems and share improvements with both colleagues and the
original developers. The result is a computing environment long on
performance and short on bugs.
In the mid-1980's, software visionary Richard Stallman wrote the GNU
General Public Licence and started the Free Software Foundation.
Stallman was one of the first people to articulate a model by which
software could be developed and freely shared while allowing
programmers to earn their living providing service and support.
Over a decade later, the commercial world has finally taken notice.
They now realize what the free software community has always known:
Open-source software allows one to focus on the service and support
side of the industry without being hampered by proprietary road
blocks.
Vancouver-based ActiveState Tool Corp. provides service and support to
users of the open-source Perl scripting language. An industry report by
Hambrecht & Quist lists them as one of nine "representative players"
involved in the commercial open-source market.
According to ActiveState CEO Dick Hardt, "IBM's remarkable recovery in
the mid-1990's and Compaq's decision to purchase Digital early last year
were fueled by a common realization that service and support are
lucrative aspects of the software business. IBM is doing Open Source
now and one can point to many successful business that were built using
Open Source -- UUNet, Amazon, Yahoo etc."
Virtually every major player in the computer industry, including IBM,
Intel, Compaq, Dell, Oracle, and Corel, has made major investments in
Linux and open-source technology and services during the past year.
The outstanding success of the recent IPO by Red Hat Software, a company
that develops and supports one of the most popular Linux distributions,
underscores the confidence that investors now place in the open-source
strategy. In just over a month, shares in the North Carolina-based
firm have jumped from US$40 to over US$120.
-- -o)
Dave Michelson /\\
dmichelson@ieee.org _\_v
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