Daniel Egger

Last year, after 10 years of almost unbelievably rapid adoption, two new things happened: Linux distributions began to dominate the commercially vital "Post-PC" market for embedded devices; and massive clusters of inexpensive Intel boxes running Linux became a viable way for huge IT-dependent enterprises to run applications from Oracle, SAP, and others, as well as their own custom applications, while saving tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars in direct and indirect hardware and software costs. Providing Linux-related services to corporate clients was a $3 billion opportunity last year - but the explosion of Linux at both the device and enterprise levels now suggests it may well prove to be a $50 billion bonanza within 10 years. In America, whenever so many billions of dollars get involved, companies under pressure hire lawyers and begin suing each other. Why... (more)