Business

OpenERP Solves Open Source's Vexing Problem: Making Money
October 19, 2010

Belgian open source application vendor OpenERP has set up its first overseas business office in San Jose, Calif. Traditionally, the company has worked with reseller partners in the United States and 54 other countries worldwide. After four years, though, OpenERP has begun an aggressive expansion. It plans to have 1,000 partners around the world by the end of 2011.

Google Files Steamed Response to Oracle's Java Claims
October 06, 2010

Google has responded to Oracle's lawsuit alleging that it infringed on its Java patents by going on the offensive. Oracle has made an about-face on its support for open source licensing, Google maintains in a response filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

Microsoft Slings Patent-Infringement Accusations at Motorola
October 05, 2010

The smartphone industry has caught the sue-me, sue-you flu. Microsoft on Friday filed a patent infringement suit against Motorola related to Android technology. It claims Motorola has infringed on nine Microsoft patents with its Android-based smartphones, related to a wide range of functionality.

James Gosling vs. Oracle: Acquisitions, Open Source and Reality
September 27, 2010

Java Creator James Gosling explained why he quit Oracle in an interesting interview on eWeek. It is clear he had no understanding about what happens in an acquisition, particularly for an old school open source unit that has been the exact opposite of a profit center.

Sony's Shocking 'Other OS' Win and Suspect Distro Popularity Trends
September 02, 2010

Despite the best hopes of many of us in the community, the man suing Sony over the removal of the "other OS" feature from its PS3 has apparently lost his case. The bad news is that the man won't get the money he had requested to compensate for an upgrade to his newly crippled PS3; the good news is that he reportedly wasn't forced to pay Sony's legal bill to boot.

Whamcloud to Put New Sheen on Lustre
August 24, 2010

The founders of Lustre software technology company Whamcloud opened for business in June with a lot of potential and years of experience working with high-performance computing. What they lacked from their first day was any signed contracts. Whamcloud Cofounder and CEO Brent Gorda still is waiting to sign the dotted line with his company's first customer.

Is Oracle Becoming the New Microsoft?
August 23, 2010

"Oracles are dumb," the great John Milton once wrote, and though it may not be the meaning he intended, that's a fair description of the prevailing sentiment in the Linux blogosphere these days. It's a single Oracle being referred to today, of course -- Oracle Corporation, that is, owner of Sun, jealous protector of Java and Solaris, and just possibly the most widely despised company in the FOSS arena of late.

Oracle Lawsuit Claims Google Slurped Its Java
August 13, 2010

Oracle on Thursday filed suit against Google for patent and copyright infringement in the latter's development of the Android operating system. Google "knowingly, directly and repeatedly infringed Oracle's Java-related intellectual property," according to the suite, which "seeks appropriate remedies for their infringement," Oracle spokesperson Karen Tillman said.

Study: Big Biz Falls in Love With FOSS, but Not Just 'Cause It's a Cheap Date
August 10, 2010

Open source software is poised for rapid growth in enterprises over the next 12 months, but cost is no longer the primary driver behind open source adoption. That's according to a new study from global consultancy Accenture, which based its findings on interviews with 300 executives at organizations in the United States, the United Kingdom and Ireland with annual revenues above $500 million.

New Illumos Project to Reopen OpenSolaris
August 04, 2010

A new group announced Tuesday aims to create a community-built and -maintained version of Oracle's OpenSolaris operating system in which all portions of the code are open and fully available for use by developers. Called "Illumos," the new project will replace the closed portions of Oracle's OpenSolaris code with open versions, making it possible for developers to create their own solutions based on the software.

Europe's Tender Words About FOSS
July 29, 2010

There's no denying that everyone needs a little love from time to time, but for those of us in the FOSS community, that need can be particularly acute. After all, rarely a week goes by without some affront from those we had hoped were our friends. Case in point? Dell. Imagine our surprise, then -- nay, outright joy! -- when none other than Neelie Kroes lavished a heaping helping of love upon the FOSS community.

Who You Gonna Call? Q&A With Software Freedom Law Center's Eben Moglen
July 23, 2010

The Software Freedom Law Center provides free legal representation and other law-related services to open source software developers. The organization began in 2005 under the direction of Eben Moglen, a professor of law and legal history at Columbia University Law School. His law center represents many of the most important and well-established free software and open source projects.

Linux Doesn't Cost Anything - But Maybe It Should
July 09, 2010

Discussions, theses, theories and memes abound around Linux's inability to gain traction in the desktop marketplace. Some think the Linux Desktop is too hard to learn. Others say Linux Desktop is deficient. Linux elite say Linux wasn't really meant for the general users anyway. Microsoft says Linux in general is evil. I submit yet another theory: Linux isn't expensive enough!

The Bottom Line on Bilski: Good or Bad for FOSS?
July 06, 2010

Software patents are a frequently debated topic here in the Linux blogosphere, but nary a conversation has taken place about them in recent years without at least some hopeful mention of Bilski. Many, in fact, have looked to the longstanding case to finally put to rest the legal threats and patent quibbling that has beset the field.

Samsung's Latest Android to Shine on 5 US Carriers
June 29, 2010

When Samsung's Android-powered Galaxy S makes its U.S. debut in the coming months, it will do so as five different phones tailored for five different carriers. AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon and U.S. Cellular will all support a Galaxy S device, though the handset will be renamed and recast slightly for each wireless company.

Can a FOSS Firm Hit the Billion-Dollar Jackpot?
June 21, 2010

In any discussion of FOSS's potential to be profitable, Red Hat is invariably held up as the poster child for success. After all, the company is now a $750 million business, as CEO Jim Whitehurst recently pointed out. There's no doubt that's impressive; at the same time, as noted by Glyn Moody soon afterward, it falls considerably short of the $5 billion target Whitehurst set in 2008.

Analytics 'R' Us
June 11, 2010

A growing recognition of the business benefits predictive analysis provides is positioning newcomer Revolution Analytics into a key role to help adopters of the R programing language migrate from legacy offerings. Until a recent funding infusion and a refocus of marketing goals, the startup did business under the name "Revolution Computing."

Linux Distros and the Codec Conundrum
May 20, 2010

Codecs have been the topic of much heated conversation on the Linux blogs of late, thanks largely to all the recent controversy surrounding H.264. Video compression, that is, and the technology that currently enables it in applications like Blu-ray Disc, YouTube videos and the iTunes Store. Cupertino loves the patent-encumbered H.264, not surprisingly; Microsoft does too.

Who Cares if FOSS Is Profitable?
May 13, 2010

Money makes the world go round, or so it's been said, but what about the world of FOSS? Sparked by a recent Glyn Moody column on The H, that's the question bloggers have been wrestling with in recent days. On the one hand, we've got the fact that FOSS is generally free -- a feature that tends to minimize the revenue-generating opportunities, at least at first glance.

HP's Deal of the Century, Android's Short Life
May 03, 2010

Last week was a huge week for news surrounding smartphones and iPad-like tablets. I mentioned a few weeks ago how the market was moving to vertical integration, which was placing platforms like Android at risk, but I didn't expect HP to move this quickly by buying Palm and getting its own OS.