IBM and the Russian Ministry of Communications and
Computerisation have agreed to put together a Linux Competency
Centre in Moscow to help push greater use of the open-source
operating system in Russia.
The centre, which will mimic existing centres in New York and
other cities, will be equipped with a wide selection of IBM
hardware and software so that potential users can test their
applications and gain insights into how Linux could help their
businesses and operations.
The Moscow Technical University of Communications and
Informatics will work with IBM and the Russian government by
providing open-source skills and technical help at the facility. It
is scheduled to open by the end of the year.
The IBM hardware in the centre will include IBM TotalStorage
products running Linux, including eServer xSeries systems,
high-powered Linux clusters and IBM software, including WebSphere,
DB2, Lotus and Tivoli products.
Adam Jollans, Linux strategy manager at IBM's software group,
said the centre will target government agencies and businesses in
seeking alternative ways of doing their work.
Andrey Korotkov, a deputy minister with the Russian Ministry of
Communications and Computerisation, said in a statement that the
centre will help "create a Linux ecosystem enabling Russian hi-tech
companies to expand into global markets faster.
"IT solutions based on Linux and open standards will open up
great opportunities to businesses in Russia," he added
Todd R Weiss writes for Computerworld