Asia jumps into Linux

By John Fontana, NetworkWorld.com, 09/16/03

First it was Munich, Germany, now its Japan, China and South Korea. Later this month, the trio will hammer out the details on developing an open-source operating system, likely based on Linux, as a challenger to Windows. Japan plans to pump $85.5 million into the project which it hopes will address the needs of Japanese consumer electronics companies such as Fujitsu, Hitachi, Matsushita Electric Industrial, and NEC. Microsoft, predictably, isn't excited about the news. The company says that consumers and not governments should make product choices. The consumer vote is in and its has staked Microsoft to 95% of the market, although a big portion of the software is pirated. The bottom line is that recent security vulnerabilities that have begun to plug the megaphone Microsoft uses to tout its "Trustworthy Computing" initiative are fueling such thoughts of alternatives. Another thing also is certain, if this open-source project is based on Linux, SCO president Darl McBride will send a letter outlining licensing requirements.

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