It's time vendors ate their own penguin food, Jan 18, 2004

The news last week that IBM had challenged its internal tech team to roll out desktop Linux throughout the organisation by the end of 2005 seemed like a real shot in the arm for the whole open-source-client alternative to Microsoft -- right up to the point when IBM began back-tracking faster than Tony Blair discussing Ken Livingstone.

A November memo from CIO Bob Greenberg, leaked to the Inquirer news site, reportedly said IBM chairman Sam Palmisano had "challenged the IT organisation, and indeed all of IBM, to move to a Linux-based desktop before the end of 2005." But in a furious bit of spin management, IBM spokeswoman Trink Guarino jumped all over the story and said that IBM was merely evaluating the idea of desktop Linux. "IBM has no plans to move all of its employees to Linux desktops by 2005," or even a majority of them, she said.

Computers and the Internet are just starting to penetrate the Mideast, and since most residents of most countries here are dirt-poor, Linux and open source are "naturals" for the region. There is also a fast-growing market for Arabic-language commercial software (or software services based on open source applications), and it seems that half of the region's governments have decided their country should become "the" developer of Arabic-language software. Saudi Arabia, where I'm writing this, is pouring massive government funds into an effort to build a software industry. But it's possible that cultural and political factors may be more important than government aid in encouraging software development. If this is so, Saudi Arabia may be wasting its money, and should look at changing its society instead.

Software industry executives sparred at Harvard Business School this weekend over open source procurement policies being adopted by some governments that could leave Microsoft in the cold.

In recent months, the state of Massachusetts and several government agencies worldwide including some in Israel, the United Kingdom, Germany and China have pronounced plans to adopt or consider adopting open source procurement policies.

Some of those policies could mandate migrations away from Microsoft's proprietary Windows and Office software.

Webmaster's note: It's come to our attention that Linux fans in Australia have dunked Linus Torvalds in a pool. Pictures available.

Imagine the following scenario: "OK, ad people. We want you to sell this really cool technology that's going to change the world. But it's not really our product. You can't hold it. You can't see it. And, um, there's no way to take a picture of it or even really show what it is. Oh, did we mention that the future of our $80 billion company depends on it? Thanks."

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