LinuxWorld offers focus on virtualization, IT interoperability

Todd R. Weiss   Today’s Top Stories   or  Other Linux and Unix Stories  

Simplifying the Data Center Network A Roundtable Discussion on File Management Getting the Most from DFS The Trend from Unix to Linux in SAP Data Centers F5 and the 8 Ways to Virtualization IronPort Encryption Technology: Safeguarding Business Email Compterworld Technology Briefing: Intelligent Users Use Business Intelligence Computerworld Report- Large Enterprises Pay More for IPAM An Apple for Your Enterprise? Sign up to receive Linux and Unix Resource Alerts

April 3, 2006 (Computerworld) -- With a myriad of topics that range from virtualization to new enterprise applications and IT interoperability, the LinuxWorld Conference & Expo opens in Boston today for a four-day run that includes a keynote speech by Microsoft Corp.’s Bill Hilf, director of platform technology strategy.

It’s the first time ever that a Microsoft executive has delivered a formal address at the conference, although the company has offered technical presentations at past shows. Hilf plans to talk about “Interoperability: Dealing with the Diversity and Heterogeneity of Today’s IT Marketplace” Thursday morning.

In an interview last week, Hilf said his presence highlights a corporate reality: It’s rare for large businesses to have computing environments built around a single vendor or operating system. “It’s always mixed,” Hilf said, meaning success now often depends on how adaptable software is for user companies.

Even Microsoft, which for years has closely guarded its intellectual property, application programming interfaces and file formats, has been working in recent years to develop improved interoperability and performance for customers of open-source applications from JBoss Inc. and SugarCRM Inc., Hilf said. Atlanta-based JBoss offers open-source middleware, workflow applications and an application server, while Cupertino, Calif.-based SugarCRM offers commercial, open-source customer relationship management software.

For Microsoft, the interoperability focus reflects the need to evolve and respond to customers' needs, Hilf said. More than half of JBoss customers are already Windows Server users, he said, which made improved interoperability an important goal. “That’s value,” he said. “At the end of the day, that’s license revenue.”

Hilf came to Microsoft in 2003 from IBM, where he led IBM’s Linux technical strategy for the global emerging and competitive markets group. He runs a multitude of Linux distributions in Microsoft’s Linux lab, has been involved with open-source software for more than a dozen years and said he’s been to every U.S.-based LinuxWorld conference since the first one in San Jose in 1999.

“In the past few years,” he said, “ I think Microsoft has evolved a lot in its thinking ... because the marketplace has changed.”

“Microsoft is certainly not an enthusiastic supporter of open-source, interoperability, open formats, etc., but they’re not stupid people either,” said Gordon Haff, an analyst at Nashua, N.H.-based Illuminata Inc. “They’re smart enough that if they see themselves starting to lose business because of a lack of interoperability, or lack of using open standards, they will adapt. They’re not going to be out in the forefront leading the charge. Usually they’re not going to fight them and go down in flames, either.”

Al Gillen, an analyst at IDC in Framingham, Mass., said Microsoft has been working for several years on improving interoperability with its products and Unix. “Interoperability with Linux is a by-product of their Unix work,” he said.

Continued...
1 | 2 | NEXT  

Print this Story

Send Us Feedback

E-mail this Story

Digg this Story

Slashdot this Story

"At long last, Atheros has opened up the last binary barriers to making completely open-source, Linux-friendly drivers for its popular..." Read more... "We still don't have Adobe Photoshop Elements for Linux. But, since we do have Google's Picasa 3 for Linux you..." Read more... Read more Linux posts or See all Blogs

New Windows worm builds massive botnet 7 ways to cut your software costs during the economic downturn How spyware nearly sent a teacher to prison More top stories...

Windows market share dives below 90% for first time Major e-stores malfunction on Black Friday and Cyber Monday Glory days: How high school shaped nine IT leaders

Review: The new MacBook Air, now with extra SSD goodness Thin as ever, the latest Air offers up to twice the storage and snappy performance. Cool Stuff: Your 2008 Holiday Gift Guide We've got an array of economical, expensive, and just plain weird tech gifts for your friends and family. Massive botnet returns from the dead, starts spamming The spam-spewing 'Srizbi' botnet that was shut down two weeks ago has been resurrected and is again under criminal control, say security researchers. Elgan: Why you can't trust 'friends' on Facebook Facebook is popular and growing -- especially with criminals. Here's why they love it. Windows 7 Get the latest news, reviews and more about Microsoft's newest desktop operating system More Continuing Coverage Windows 7 Voting Technology Google's Chrome browser Economy in turmoil: Latest news and tips iPhone 3G Bill Gates moves on Windows Vista A to Z Mac A to Z 2008 Salary Survey Find wage data for 50 IT job titles. More Special Reports 2008 Premier 100 IT Leaders 2007 Premier 100 IT Leaders 2008 Best Places to Work in IT 2007 Best Places to Work in IT 2008 Salary Survey 2007 Salary Survey 2006 Salary Survey 2008 IT Forecast 2007 IT Forecast 40 Years of Computerworld Top 12 Green-IT Users The FAQs About Going Green IT Schools to Watch iPhone: One Year Later Global Mobile Your Next Data Center Management: Reinventing IT Stop Data Leaks Web 2.0 Security Surviving Disasters Managing Storage Virtualization The Lean Storage Machine Storage on Trial Can Web 2.0 Save BI? Bypass These BI Potholes All Zones Business Continuity Zone The File Data Management Zone Security Management Zone The SAS Zone Business Intelligence and Analytics Zone The Enterprise Search Zone Software as a Service Zone The Security Zone See your link here

White Papers Read up on the latest ideas and technologies from companies that sell hardware, software and services. IronPort Encryption Technology: Safeguarding Business Email Simplifying Enterprise File Management Brocade and the File Area Network - A Taneja Group Solution Profile View more whitepapers  Computerworld Technology Briefing: An open-source path to optimal virtualization Download this Technology Briefing now! (Source: Novell/IBM/Intel) Virtualization is about a lot more than just lowering total cost of ownership. In fact users that have taken an open source path to virtualization have realized the additional, mission-critical benefit of markedly reduced IT complexity, as well as a more flexible infrastructure that is easier to change to meet shifting, often unpredictable business requirements. Download this executive briefing  Advances in SSL and Certificate Management Advances in SSL and Certificate Management View this webcast now! Go to the webcast  Virtualization Everywhere Download this white paper, free, compliments of Citrix. (Source: Citrix) Adoption of virtualization is concentrated among large enterprises, while adoption by mid-sized companies has been much slower. For these companies, the cost and complexity of server virtualization solutions has been a barrier. In this paper, we'll discuss how Citrix XenServer" provides simple, economical server virtualization for any size company. Download now! Download this white paper

• New Windows worm builds massive botnet
• Windows market share dives below 90% for first time
• 7 ways to cut your software costs during the economic downturn
• More top stories 

Red Hat CIO whitepaper: Date Centre Transitions: UNIX to Linux Red Hat open source solutions provide the flexibility and value that the modern CIO needs to transform today's business into tomorrow's successful enterprise. Read how Linux(R) overcame the initial challenges of the industry, and what triggers so many companies to migrate legacy UNIX systems to the open source stack. Download this white paper now!

• Elgan: Why you can't trust 'friends' on Facebook

• Massive botnet returns from the dead, starts spamming

• Review: The new MacBook Air, now with extra SSD goodness

Read more news 

• Newbie

• What laptop?

Read more Shark Bait