Date: Thu, 18 Feb 1999 00:19:23 -0500 From: "Jack Velte" <jackv@earthling.net> Cc: <chat@FreeBSD.ORG> Subject: IBM + RedHat Message-ID: <002001be5afe$960d4e40$6a6c4cd1@jackv.pacbell.net>
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IBM, Red Hat Deal To Be Finalized (02/17/99, 8:13 p.m. ET) By Edward F. Moltzen, Computer Reseller News IBM will officially announce on Thursday an alliance with Red Hat Software that will optimize Red Hat's version of Linux to run on IBM hardware including Netfinities, Intellistations, and ThinkPads. The deal also calls for joint marketing of Official Red Hat Linux into the IBM reseller channel on those systems, according to a draft of Thursday's press release reviewed by Computer Reseller News. Sources close to the Armonk, N.Y.-based computer giant, said the move initially will focus on uniprocessor and dual-processor solutions. At the start of the agreement, IBM is not planning to preload Linux onto hardware developed by its Personal Systems Group, sources said. The deal with Red Hat is expected to be the first of IBM's key moves within the Linux arena. IBM is expected to unveil more of its Linux at the Linuxworld conference on March 1 in San Jose, Calif. Among the moves separate from the Red Hat IBM deal is preloading of the low-cost Linux operating system onto low-end RS/6000s. Executives at IBM and Red Hat could not be reached for comment. However, industry sources said that IBM has been intent on offering the same support for Linux that it does other operating systems from Windows NT to Novell NDS to OS/2. The Red Hat deal gives IBM the ability to ensure the version of Linux works well with its hardware. Netfinity servers and other boxes out of the IBM Personal Systems Group are shipped into the reseller channel with "open bays" to have operating systems preloaded by resellers and integrators. After development work is performed to tune Red Hat Linux for the IBM systems, IBM could offer standard support on solutions in the same manner as other platforms, industry sources said. However, as part of the deal, IBM will provide ThinkPads to Red Hat developers so that, eventually, the notebooks would run with Linux. Red Hat also will perform hardware-certification testing and provide dedicated customer training, according to the preliminary statement reviewed by CRN. In addition to Red Hat, IBM has been in talks with LinuxPPC, in Madison, Wis., and "several other" Linux independent software vendors about other agreements, said industry sources. To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-chat" in the body of the message
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