Linux in emerging markets (page 4 of 4)

As she says, "We've had a lot of success with these centers globally. We have them on four continents, in countries from Germany to the U.S. to Japan."

For instance, IBM and the Russian Ministry of Communications and Computerization have agreed to create a Linux Competency Center in Moscow to help push greater use of the open source OS in Russia. And late last year, IBM signed a letter of intent with the government of Brazil to jointly expand the use of open source technologies and Linux throughout the country.

As part of the agreement, IBM will help create the infrastructure and professional skills to grow the use of open source technology within the public sector. This system of cooperation and education has helped IBM assume leadership at the head of the Linux movement.

Into the Future

Linux's unprecedented growth in the Asia/Pacific region has global ramifications. As alternatives to proprietary systems are adopted and expanded worldwide, the viability of it as an OS continues to increase.

Knaack, as with most experts, stops short of claiming that Linux is about to emerge as the dominant force in OSs in the Asia/Pacific region—at least for now. But she points out that there can be no doubt that it's becoming a huge factor in IT decisions there, and that this trend will continue.

"I have no doubt that we'll continue to see this proliferation, and five years from now its growth will be even more established, even more remarkable," she says. "Linux is one of the biggest growth areas in that part of the world, and that trend doesn't look to be ending anytime soon."