Asian interest in using Linux as an alternative to Microsoft operating systems is spiraling, generating a spate of Linux-themed events and new Linux interest groups in the region.
Two of the latest Linux events to be announced are LinuxWorld Conference and Expo Hong Kong 2000, which will be held in the territory in January, and the creation of the Alliance for Linux Software (Allix) consortium in Korea.
The Hong Kong event, organized by IDG World Expo (Asia) aims to address the needs of both developers and users of the Linux platform. IDG vice president Gary Fung said the event will be a high-level, technical conference program with industry experts offering advice and solutions on the Linux operating system. It is expected to attract more than 3,000 key influencers and adopters of Linux technologies,” he said.
There will be products and company projects in Linux, including a supercomputer cluster system from SGI, Compaq’s Linux-ready Alpha server, and solutions by several Linux developer companies, Fung said. There will be keynote speeches by major IT vendors developing products on the Linux platform. Oracle, Sun Microsystems, SGI, Hewlett-Packard and Compaq are the main sponsors of the event.
In Korea, top domestic software developers Dr Ahn’s Anti-Virus Laboratories Inc, Linux One Inc, Pharos Information Inc, PLM Consulting Inc, Konan Technology Inc and Namo Interactive Inc have launched a venture consortium based on Linux to compete with Windows.
Given that Korea will have at least 300,000 Linux users next year, Allix expects to carve out a significant share with quality applications products, said Park Hung-ho, president of Namo Interactive and co-chairman of the alliance, at a press conference to announce its launch. Co-chairman Ahn Cheol-soo, president of Dr Ahn’s Lab, said: Participating companies have decided to dispatch their top-class engineers for the joint venture, which means they run the risk of tackling a drain of key manpower.
The venture has a paid-in capital of 1.1bn won from its members and plans to attract foreign investment within the next few weeks, the conference was told. Allix also intends to release a user-friendly Linux operating package early next year while speeding up the development of Linux versions of its members’ strategic products. The applications, once reconfigured for Linux, will be bundled with the Linux operating system, offering a full line of products for Korean users.
Products to be converted to a Linux version are Namo’s powerful homepage editing tool, WebEditor; Ahn Lab’s anti-virus vaccine, V3, and its security solution, EnDe; Konan Tech’s community server and Asian language search engine; PLM Consulting’s server security system and network supervision solution, NetScan; Linux One’s Linux operating system and Pharos Information’s application server.
