Penguins on Campus

IBM is targeting academia to ensure that its gets the most out of its $1 billion Linux investment.

IBM Corp. (NYSE: IBM)announced today that it is donating $5 million worth of p/series servers and workstations to build a Linux Lab for students and staff at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Big Blue has also chipped in products from its Rational software division.

But such largesse is not entirely disinterested. In an official statement, the company said that it expects to have thousands of IT vacancies coming up later this year and needs to ensure that universities can meet this demand (see IBM, UMass Join Forces).

Sure. But what about the companys ongoing Linux crusade? To date, IBM has spent more than $1 billion on Linux and is as keen as ever to exploit users’ desire for the open source operating system, which is seen as a cost-effective alternative to products from the ubiquitous Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT). Suddenly $5 million seems like pretty small potatoes.

Plus, Linux is regarded as being quite sexy in the data center -- something that cannot be said of technologies such as the 40-year old mainframe -- which is one of IBM’s key product offerings (see Mainframe Skills Shortage Looms).Although the UMass Linux lab relies on the smaller p/series servers, the fact is that by exposing students to all this kit at an early age, IBM stands a better chance of reaping the rewards when the class of 2004 eventually get their own IT budgets.

But what about the kids themselves? Well, it looks like they are happy to join the cult of the Penguin, according to Charlie Schweik, assistant professor of natural resources and conservation at UMass. He says, “It’s a little early for me to tell, but I have been approached by several students on campus who want to form a Linux user group.”

(Whatever happened to frat parties?)

Schweik is also keen to explore the concept of open source beyond the Linux Lab. He says, “The whole idea of open source licensing could go beyond programming to any form of intellectual copyright.

“For example, this could help tackle difficult scientific problems such as research on global warming.”The UMass Linux lab is expected to go live this fall.

— James Rogers, Site Editor, Next-gen Data Center Forum