Linux Platform Ecosystem to Grow to $36 Billion by 2008
by Timothy Prickett Morgan

So just how big is the Linux ecosystem today, how fast is it growing, and how big is it going to get? These are the three questions that IT managers, independent software vendors, and IT hardware suppliers are all trying to answer as they map out their plans for the next several years. The answer to those questions, according to a study by IDC is big, fast, and a lot bigger. READ MORE >

RLX Exits Blade Server Biz, Focuses on Software
by Timothy Prickett Morgan

In a somewhat surprising move just before the Christmas holiday kicked off, blade server pioneer RLX Technologies announced that it would discontinue making blade servers and focus its efforts on trying to be the neutral party in the blade server management software market. The odds heavily favor RLX inking a partnership with server maker Dell, which is re-entering the blade business but lacks management software. READ MORE >

Revelation: Why HP's Commitment to Itanium Is Unwavering--Really
by Timothy Prickett Morgan

The IT press was having a field day as 2004 was winding down, with rumors circulating about that a staff of chip designers that Hewlett Packard has had stationed in Fort Collins, Colorado assisting with the design of the Itanium chips with partner Intel had been moved to Intel. The interpretation of what this small move meant was nearly uniform--that HP was in back-handed way washing its hands of Itanium--and it was also completely ass backwards. READ MORE >

As I See It: Dead Peasants
by Victor Rozek

The concept of life insurance always struck me as being ironic. Essentially, you're laying bets on your own early demise, while someone happily pockets your monthly premiums and wagers that you'll live for a very long time. Of course, the reason why we bet against our own survival is that our families will benefit, should we die prematurely. So, in a cautious if twisted way, wagering on your early demise makes sense. But what if your employer was also betting on your premature death? READ MORE >

  But Wait, There's More

Red Hat Profits, But Misses Revenue Targets By A Bit in Q3. . . Merrill Lynch Says Sun Should Buy Novell or Red Hat . . . Great Wall to Make xSeries, OpenPower Servers for IBM in China . . . Symantec Acquires Veritas for $13.5 Billion . . . Software Market Consolidation Looks to be a 'Predator's Ball' . . . LTO Roadmap Extended Two More Generations, but Transfer Speed Increases Scaled Back . . . Congress Allows Another 20,000 H1-B Visas . . . READ MORE >

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