Fujitsu, Novell to deliver Linux for high-performance servers, Jul 23, 2005

Fujitsu Ltd and Novell Inc have announced an agreement to deliver new Linux technology and support to their respective customers.

If you are saying to me that more and more customers are doing analysis, and some of them are choosing Linux because of that, my first comment is “great.” I’m glad people are actually doing analysis and choosing it based on a set of facts.

Red Hat Inc, a leading provider of open source solutions for enterprises, expects more Malaysian companies to subscribe to its service with the launch of Red Hat Enterprise Linux Version 4.

No one can beat the 800lb gorilla of image-editing software, Adobe Systems Inc�s Photoshop CS. But if you can�t afford Photoshop CS�s RM2,280 price tag, you may want to consider GIMP � a freeware, open source image-editing program.

Networking software giant Novell Inc wants to do two things this year � position itself as the preferred Linux supplier, and establish a proper �ecosystem� for its partners, be they independent software and hardware vendors (ISVs and IHVs) or resellers.

Gamers who modify Xboxes usually do so either to be able to cheat on games or use pirated copies, although some also have made changes so they can use the Xbox for other functions, from running Linux to playing music.

Richard M. Stallman, considered a "guru" of the Open Source Software (OSS) movement, will present a free seminar entitled Impact of the Free Software Movement on the Public Sector and Education in Kuala Lumpur on Oct 20.

Stallman is the founder of the Free Software movement, GNU project, Free Software Foundation and League for Programming Freedom.

There�s open source software (OSS), there�s what Novell Inc chief technology officer Alan Nugent calls �closed source� -- meaning proprietary -- software, and then there�s Novell�s own �mixed-source� software.

Nugent was describing Novell�s own policy, one that he said brought together the best of open source and Novell�s proprietary software, and was periodically realigned so that the two complemented each other as best as possible.

�We make our proprietary technology available on open source platforms, and we participate in the OSS movement,� said Nugent, who was in Malaysia for Novell�s Linux Day event here on Monday.

Sun Microsystems Inc channel development partner ECS Pericomp Sdn Bhd has launched the Linux-based Nitix server operating system on the Sun V65x, V60x and V20z platforms in Malaysia.

Nitix is a highly integrated, easy to use and cost-effective IT solution which would meet the computing needs of small and medium businesses (SMBs), as well as the branch and regional needs of multinational companies, ECS Pericomp (www.ecsm.com.my) said in a statement on Monday.

All Government technology procurement will now have a preference for open source software (OSS), under the Malaysian Public Sector Open Source Software Masterplan made available to the public this morning.

In what was its strongest show of support for OSS, the Government's masterplan calls for policies to be put in place in several areas, including procurement, that would favour such software.

The masterplan has been a topic of debate among ICT companies, local and foreign, that supply goods and services to the Government.

The sale of Linux-based PCs under the PC Gemilang project is a roaring success, according to the Association of the Computer and Multimedia Industry of Malaysia (Pikom).

Ten thousand PC Gemilang units were sold in the first few months following the brand�s debut, of which more than 7,000 were Linux-based machines. Pikom said the Linux PC generated the highest demand due to its attractive price.

The PC Gemilang project was kicked off in March with two models: A RM988 PC running a Linux-based operating system and bundled with the OpenOffice productivity suite; and a RM1,147 desktop with the Bahasa Malaysia version of the Microsoft Windows XP operating system and Works Suite 2004.

�Linux is enjoying momentum in Asia, including China and Japan, because of strong government support and as customers begin to realise its benefits," said Chris Zhao, acting president of Red Flag.

"By combining our strengths and sharing technologies, we will not only deliver reliable, highly available and common-standard Linux solutions in the Asian market, but also help build Linux standards, which is one of the success factors for Linux to become a preferred platform,� he said.

The Japanese unit of IBM said it has received a contract to build the world's largest Linux-based supercomputer, which would be based on Advanced Micro Devices Inc's next-generation Opteron chip.