IBM Linux for client vs Ubuntu

[Browser_ice]

Ok, I admit that I do not actively follow computer/server related news and when I learn about sometimes, it has usualy been in use/existing for a few months now.

So here goes. I have just found out about IBM's plan to start rolling Linux on workstations/servers and what they are expecting to save with this (I am working at IBM right now on a contract for an agency but not Linux related). They expect to have big savings in terms of money and also equipement space. They say people are rushing toward Linux because it works. That made me smilled. They don't rush to it solely because it works but also because software is 95% of the times, free and easy to get. They didn't mentionned that. If they did, then would probably loose a pourentage of new customers.

That made me think also about something else. Are they going to be charging fees to clients for software upgrades/installments on their own Linux based workstations/servers ? If Linux world is a 95% free world, then are they expecting to make money on services only ?

I know Ubuntu has commercial support but I don't realy know how Ubuntu is used commercialy. Is it with workstations/servers having Ubuntu installed or are we only talking about stand alone PCs where the client is directly working on them and having Ubunto installed on them ?

See I am trying to understand what is Ubuntu usages commercialy speaking since it has commercial support and then trying to understand how Big Blue's plan on their own Linux version is going to affect commercial Ubuntu.

Can someone enlight me ?

[Nils Olav]

Okay, I admit that I do not actively follow computer/server related news and when I learn about sometimes, it has usually been in use/existing for a few months now.

So here goes. I have just found out about IBM's plan to start rolling Linux on workstations/servers and what they are expecting to save with this (I am working at IBM right now on a contract for an agency but not Linux related). They expect to have big savings in terms of money and also equipment space. They say people are rushing toward Linux because it works. That made me smile. They don't rush to it solely because it works but also because software is 95% of the times, free and easy to get. They didn't mentioned that. If they did, then would probably loose a percentage of new customers.

That made me think also about something else. Are they going to be charging fees to clients for software upgrades/installments on their own Linux based workstations/servers ? If Linux world is a 95% free world, then are they expecting to make money on services only ?

I know Ubuntu has commercial support but I don't really know how Ubuntu is used commercially. Is it with workstations/servers having Ubuntu installed or are we only talking about stand alone PCs where the client is directly working on them and having Ubuntu installed on them ?

See I am trying to understand what is Ubuntu usages commercially speaking since it has commercial support and then trying to understand how Big Blue's plan on their own Linux version is going to affect commercial Ubuntu.

Can someone enlight me ?

IBM isn't really in the PC OS market I really doubt they would be in competition.