IBM is all about Linux these days. And to be honest, I don’t see this changing anytime in the near future, either.

Linux’s biggest corporate backer is vowing to push its open-source efforts beyond Linux. Big Blue on Tuesday touted plans to pursue new open-source business models that it hopes will usher in a new era.

At LinuxWorld, IBM said it plans to launch eight open-source initiatives. The computing giant already has a dedicated army of 600 engineers at its Linux technology center. As a result, it’s no secret that IBM has been a heavyweight Linux supporter.

IBM backed Linux early on with a commitment to spend $1 billion in 2001, a move that helped push the open-source operating system into the mainstream. Linux is the brainchild of Linus Torvalds, whose open-source operating system has made serious inroads against Microsoft, allowing startups to enter with lower technology costs.

Scott Handy, vice president of worldwide Linux and open source at IBM, said the company wants to dedicate more resources to other open-source projects, such as middleware, development tools, and services….. Source: Red Herring