IBM is adopting OpenDocument Format for the first generally available release of its network-based collaboration and office productivity suite. IBM said Sunday its Workplace Managed Client 2.6, due in early 2006, would adopt ODF so users could easily share files and information. The Workplace Managed Client is currently available on a limited capacity, with more than one million deployed seats.
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Member since:I have noticed the same thing. The msft/sunw shills are all over this.
A few points:
1) IBM can not legally open source AIX, or OS/2, because some of that code is licensed to other companies.
2) The fact that IBM has open sourced 100% of their software does not make IBM a hypocrite or traitor in my view. I am thankful for what IBM has contributed.
3) IBM is happy to sell hardware with whatever OSS. IBM has developed at least a dozen different OSes, many are still very popular (MVS and OS/400). IBM has sold wintel boxes for years. IBM also sells hardware with Solaris.
4) Sun was rockin' in the mid 90s. NIS and NFS were great, back then. And OpenOffice is most appreciated. Sun still has some great technology. However, I can not forgive sun for supporting the underhanded msft/scox scam to fud linux.
5) I see no problem with a company being essentially proprietary, and still donating some F/OSS. I see no problem with a company using F/OSS to sell something else - hardware or services or whatever. In fact, I'm glad to see it, because it proves that F/OSS is a viable business model.
Member since:"1) IBM can not legally open source AIX, or OS/2, because some of that code is licensed to other companies."
Haha... you believe that? That's what they said about Sun too. "Sun can't open source Solaris because they don't own all the code in it, and don't have rights to open source some of it." Well guess what? Sun proved them wrong.
Sorry. I don't buy it for one minute that IBM can't open source AIX. Maybe it would take a little work. But they can do it just like Sun open sourced Solaris
Member since:
I never witnessed such a flurry of IBM-is-not-pro-FreeSoftware posts during such a short time, most of them with similar arguments. Must be a hailstorm of Microsofties out there.
IBM is definitely pro-FreeSoftware. They have a huge business unit making profit from all sorts of free software, and if you want to sell something to customers you better make sure they like what they get, hence IBM donates lots of technology to free software.
That their AIX - department wants to sell AIX is completely natural, and if you look at the hardware you would buy if you considered AIX then the cost of AIX vs Linux is really a minor argument. You then simply choose which system does fit your purposes best.
I can see no hypocrisy there, quite the contrary. IBM really tries to get their relationship with the different communities right. They also have had the backbone of standing up to SCO's buy-me-out game.