November 1st, 2006
Another view on Oracle Linux
Oracle's new Linux is the best thing that ever happened to the open source applications market. Especially in the enterprise space.
And, no, they're not going to fork it. Instead they're going to provide competition, with lower support prices and faster updates. Which is good for everyone.
This sunny view came to me today from Adaptive Planning CEO Bill Soward. He seems to find the cynical reaction overdone.
"This is a positive step, it reinforces why Linux is a better solution for customers and it will result in better products at lower prices. It's all about getting alternatives to Microsoft."
Ah, Microsoft. They just agreed to support Zend, didn't they? Sure, but talk about your vendor lock-in.
Microsoft will keep Oracle honest, Soward feels. RedHat isn't the game, Microsoft is.
"They don't need to make money from the operating system. To the extent that Linux flourishes that accrues to their benefit. I don't think they need to fork it – that doesn't buy them anything. I don't think that's the motivation. On the other hand customers want a single throat to choke, and Oracle makes money off maintenance, and now their maintenance offering is better. It's a reasonable thing to do."
Agree?
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Dana Blankenhorn has been a business journalist for 30 years, a tech freelancer since 1983. You can follow Dana on Twitter. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
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