Is Red Hat the Microsoft of Linux?
Source: E Week
Concern is growing in the Linux community that the forthcoming UnitedLinux distribution will not be able to meet the enterprise server challenge of Red Hat Inc. in the United States.
Red Hat's dominance is worrisome to some industry players, who say the Raleigh, N.C., company needs effective competition to prevent it from becoming a Microsoft Corp. among Linux vendors and to ensure the operating system continues to develop in an open way.
International Data Corp. reported this month that Red Hat won nearly three-quarters of the $80 million in U.S. Linux sales last year. Most of the balance went to SuSE Linux AG, the report said.
"There is a backlash against Red Hat from many consumers and government agencies, who fear it is increasingly becoming the Microsoft of the Linux world with respect to its dominance and attitude," said David Turek, IBM vice president of Linux Clusters, in Somers, N.Y.
UnitedLinux partners say there is strong interest in their product despite the strength of Red Hat. Caldera International Inc.'s new president and CEO, Darl McBride, said the UnitedLinux group will offer Linux users and enterprise customers an alternative to Red Hat Linux. "Also, if you combine the assets of the United-Linux members, we are the biggest Linux vendor," McBride said.
Sun Microsystems Inc., new to the Linux field, is going so far as to claim that the more Red Hat penetrates the enterprise, the closer it comes to making a proprietary version of its Advanced Server, according to Jonathan Schwartz, Sun's executive vice president of software, in Santa Clara, Calif.
