Outsourcing specialist EDS said it was "proactively engineering" Linux into its product portfolio, backtracking on previous statements that the open-source software was insecure and unscalable.
EDS' management in the United States moved to clarify its position on Linux in a statement issued to ZDNet UK sister site ZDNet Australia on Thursday after Robb Rasmussen, the vice-president responsible for alliances, unleashed a storm last week by denigrating the open-source platform's readiness for large enterprises.
At the launch of EDS' Agility Alliance — a grouping of IT heavyweights including Cisco, Microsoft, Sun, Dell, Oracle and EMC — in Sydney, Rasmussen told attendees that Linux was not suitable for such users because it had issues with security, scalability and could possibly fork into different flavours.
Rasmussen's comments not only caused uproar in the pro-Linux community, they also directly contradicted statements and case studies on EDS' Web site that applauded Linux specifically for its security and stability.
However, the clarification — issued from the office of EDS' global chief technology officer — said the outsourcing heavyweight would not slam the door on Linux, and planned to embrace it in future.
"An important and growing portion of our clients are asking to look at Linux and OSS [open source software] as a part of their total solution package.
"Provided that Linux and OSS solutions meet EDS' standards of performance, reliability and client 'fit', we will provide the level of support consistent with our promise to clients. Moving into 2005, we are proactively engineering Linux and OSS into our portfolio of hosting and desktop services. Furthermore, as we evaluate Linux and OSS products and the associated services required, we will include these in our standard portfolio as appropriate," it said.
However, the statement also revealed only a small percentage of its clients currently run Linux. Although the operating environment is not the company's preferred platform, it is "strategically important," the company said.
"EDS believes that we will continue to see a mixed client environment with .Net, Java/Unix, z/OS — and over time an increasing role for Linux and OSS. Our next generation hosting services are based on leading-edge EDS Agility Alliance partner technologies that use industry-recognised operating systems. EDS Hosting Services believes that in order to provide a well-rounded utility offering, inclusion of Linux — alongside Windows and Solaris — is strategically important," it added.
Munir Kotadia reported from Sydney for ZDNet Australia. For more ZDNet Australia stories, click here.
Talkback
Quite right. It's in EDS' and everyone else's best interest to see a mixed environment with Windows, Linux, Solaris, Mac OSX all having minority stakes in the market. That's the situation where innovation truly flourishes!
Besides which, if Windows meets anyone's standards, Linux will exceed them.
There is a lot of democracy in the internet.
Well, I was not in Sydney listening to Rasmussen farting puplicly.
But the smell has reached us all, over the internet, and I hope dear Rassmussen will learn something about farting in the public and the internet.
Danes fart a lot. (too much pork and beer).
The habit of beeing able to lie "in small groups" has become more difficult.
The use of the "split tongue" has becom more difficult too.
And that is all for the better.
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I don't see this as a "backtrack" at all.
They didn't say they that their earlier assertion was incorrect; simply that Linux is "strategically important."
In other words, EDS is saying "Linux is garbage, but we'll do it if our customer's demand it."
Tell me EDS, if Linux is so insecure, unscalable, and unstable, why even bother supporting it? Surely they owe it to their customers to equip them instead with something "secure" and "scalable" such as Microsoft Windows.
My advice to anyone: this company obviously has *no clue* about Linux and its strengths, and has no dedication to the platform that wouldn't disappear in an instant upon word from their Redmond Washington-based master. Forget them and talk to IBM or Novell instead.
"Our next generation hosting services are based on leading-edge EDS Agility Alliance partner technologies that use industry-recognised operating systems."
What a nice way to say "sorry that we promote only what our partners had to offer"
GNU/Linux is an industry-recognised OS, Ask IBM or Novell if you doubt. Or check out the 500 fastest supercomputers at http://www.top500.org/ Why are lot of them GNU/Linux clusters?
GNU/Linux not secure reliable or scalable...sure.