* Cleversafe and Digium are two Linux-focused open source companies to watch
Network World recently scoured the Web and the venture capitalist ranks for the most interesting or promising open source firms. What we came up with is a list of the top 10 companies you should know about that deal with free software.
As you know, open source software stretches way beyond just Linux. The top open source vendors include companies with products ranging from VoIP servers to consulting services and network management platforms. Of the 10 companies featured, two of the open-source vendors have products geared specifically towards Linux systems, or products built exclusively on Linux.
One is Cleversafe, which offers the Linux File system and the Cleversafe Research Storage Grid. The Linux File system software allows users to create distributed storage systems for Linux servers where data is stored on disk over a network, called the Cleversafe Research Storage Grid. The software takes advantage of grid computing security and reliability principles by distributing data across systems, which allow for better disaster recovery and remote backup than traditional centralized storage configurations, observers say. The company’s product lives on sourceforge.net, and has seen more than 800 downloads.
The other Linux-centric company on our top-10 list is better known: Digium, the maker of the IP PBX platform Asterisk, which runs on the Linux operating system. The product provides a full-featured software-based IP PBX platform, complete with call routing and queuing, direct inbound dialing (DID) number and call plans, fax support and voicemail. Companies such as utility giant Southern Company, and Sam Houston State University have the system in pilot and production mode, respectively. A recent injection of $13.8 million in venture capital funding for Digium should help keep the company competitive with the telecoms equipment giants it’s up against – Cisco, Avaya and Nortel among them.
If you haven’t checked out our list of top open source companies to watch, read the list here.
