We have been talking about Linux and IBM quite a bit the past few months ever since IBM announced Power8 and its relationship with the OpenPower Foundation. However, the Linux and IBM relationship is not a new one. As discussed in a publication titled “Linux – The Era of Open Innovation” posted on IBM’s website, IBM began considering the Linux operating system back in the late 1990s. The article provides a quick timeline of Linux and IBM:
1991 – Linux was released on the Internet by a University of Helsinki graduate student as a hobby project.
1993 – Hundreds of programmers were working on Linux development and companies, such as SuSE and Red Hat were marketing and servicing Linux-based software.
2000 – IBM announced it would support Linux as strategic to its systems strategy.
2001 – IBM invested $1 billion into the Linux movement and contributor major resources to the community.
2011 – Linux had become deeply embedded in IBM’s hardware, software, services and internal development.
2014 – IBM’s Power8 servers are the first to utilize the OpenPower technology.
As discussed in the last blog, “The Power of Linux in Your Car, Your Kitchen, and Beyond”, the “Linux – The Era of Open Innovation” paper shares even more ways that Linux is changing the world. It talks about how the entertainment industry is leveraging Linux as the operating system of choice for Hollywood animation and special effects departments. Linux has been used in the production of more than 30 blockbuster films (i.e. Lord of the Rings, Shrek the Third, and Titanic).
The article also covers some of the significant Linux breakthroughs according to IBM as well as cultural impacts.
Linux has a long history and is a proven technology. If you haven’t considered Power Linux in the past, it might be time to re-evaluate.
