Dell Tuesday said that it is boosting its use of the Linux operating system on desktop and notebook machines by forging an alliance with Red Hat.
Mike Lambert, Dell's senior vice president, said during a teleconference that the Texas computer company will add Red Hat's Linux to its operating system options, which currently include Microsoft's Windows and Novell's NetWare network operating system.
"We already have seen considerable growth in the Linux shipments," Lambert said.
Dell currently ranks second in the market for sales of servers with the Linux operating system, Lambert said. Compaq is currently ranked first according to an IDC study.
Dell already provides Linux on its servers and Precision workstations. On Tuesday, Dell added it to at least one platform in each one of its notebook and desktop products.
During the teleconference, Lambert suggested the work with Red Hat would have "an immediate opportunity to take away business from Sun's Solaris [operating system]."
Red Hat CEO Matthew Szulik said the alliance would "continue the rapid commercial adoption of the operating system."
Linux is sold by commercial software houses such as Red Hat that charge users for the software and related services. It is also available for free on the Web, and is based on the open source model of development. Developers and users, many of them working on an unpaid basis, collaborate to modify and update the code.
RELATED LINKS
