IBM invests in Brazil Linux Tech Center

[Posted May 30, 2006 by cook]
From:		"Farrah Hamid (US)" <FarrahH-AT-Text100.com>
To:		pr-AT-lwn.net
Subject:		NEWS: IBM Invests US$2.2 Million to Expand Linux Technology Cente r in Brazil
Date:		Wed, 24 May 2006 05:39:23 -0700
 

Farrah Hamid
Text 100 Public Relations
Global Technology Public Relations
D: 617.399.4930
M: 603.630.1916

E-mail:  <mailto:farrahh@text100.com> farrahh@text100.com

AIM: FarrahText100
Holmes Report Technology PR Agency of the Year


IBM Invests US$2.2 Million to Expand Linux Technology Center in Brazil

Investment in Labs and University Collaboration Makes Linux Technology
Center in Brazil One of Company's Five Largest Worldwide

SAO PAULO, BRAZIL -- 05/23/2006 -- Linux World Conference -- IBM today
announced the company will invest US$2.2 million in 2006 to expand its Linux
Technology Center (LTC) in Brazil. 

Developers at IBM's Linux Technology Center in Brazil will work to make
Linux better as part of the open source community specializing in developing
Linux with cell, power and virtualization technologies. 

The investment will be used to complete construction of a Linux development
laboratory in Hortolândia and expand a second lab in Campinas, on Brazil's
Unicamp campus. It will assist with upgrading lab construction and
equipment, furthering software development projects with Linux, and
expanding student internships and job opportunities for recent graduates as
a result of a collaboration between IBM and Brazil's Unicamp campus. 

"IBM's Linux Technology Center team in Brazil is rapidly becoming a
worldwide leader for driving innovative Linux and Open Source technologies
into emerging markets," said Jeff Smith, vice president, Open Source and
Linux Middleware, IBM. "The Center is helping customers gain a competitive
edge from Linux-based solutions by working with Brazilian universities to
advance educational opportunities for students, and stimulate technology and
economic development in the region." 

With today's announcement, The Linux Technology Center in Brazil will now
become one of the five largest Centers of its kind in the world. IBM Linux
sales in the key emerging markets of Brazil, Russia, India and China, "BRIC"
countries, grew 75% from 2005 to 2006. 

Investment Supports Innovative Linux and Open Source Projects 

The investment will enable engineers and developers at the Linux Technology
Center in Brazil to work on the following new projects: 

Linux development for IBM's Cell processor.

Linux development for IBM's Power processor.

Ease of use improvements for Linux on IBM Systems.

Improved virtualization for Intel-based processors.

Common Criteria Security certification for Red Hat Enterprise Linux version 5.

Advances Collaboration Between IBM and Unicamp 

Many of the developers working at the Technology Center are recent graduates
of Unicamp, a university in Brazil. At the Campinas laboratory, for
instance, IBM will provide scholarships for Unicamp students. As part of a
partnership between the University and IBM, researchers at Unicamp are
collaborating with IBM computer scientists in Brazil to help train recent
graduates at the University's Computer Institute. IBM also contributed
laboratory equipment and software, scholarships for students, and
professional mentors to help manage project development. 

Expands IBM's Commitment to Linux Technology Centers Worldwide: 

The IBM Linux Technology Center is a worldwide organization with teams in
approximately 40 locations. It comprises some 600 engineers worldwide, of
whom more than 300 work full-time on Linux as part of the open source
community. The investment to expand Linux development in Brazil complements
ongoing work at IBM's Linux Integration Centers, Linux Innovation Centers
and Linux Competency Centers, all of which help customers port applications
to Linux. IBM now ranks number one in overall Linux-based server revenue
worldwide. [1] 

[1] Based on Gartner's Worldwide Server Quarterly Statistics for 04Q05,
issued on February 21, 2006. 

For more information visit: www.ibm.com 

John E. Charlson
IBM Media Relations
IBM Systems and Software Groups
Worldwide Linux and Open Source
Office:  914-766-4628
Mobile: 518-852-6314
charlson@us.ibm.com
www.ibm.com

 <mailto:farrahh@text100.com%0bURL>
(Log in to post comments)