Computer Associates International, Inc. (CA) has announced the formation of the CA Enterprise Linux Advisory Council, a comprehensive business initiative that will focus on identifying and defining new projects and products that will address the unique and specific needs of Enterprise Linux users. The Council will work with CA`s development team with the goal of helping to enable businesses to maximize the capabilities of Linux operating systems within IT environments.
The Council will initially comprise a diverse group of industry leaders including Amerada Hess, Center7 Inc., eToys, Fidelity Investments, Georgia Institute of Technology, Red Hat, Inc. and The Revere Group/American Horizon Insurance.
These members will lend technical expertise and business perspective to offer insight and direction to CA in terms of what functionality is needed to make Linux a viable platform within various IT environments. In the first meeting, which was held on Nov. 9 at CA`s corporate headquarters, council members discussed the unique challenges of using Open Source software in the enterprise, barriers to entry, and the kinds of solutions that might address and remove those barriers.
"Maximizing resources and enhancing business value for Linux users is the impetus behind the formation of this council," said Michael Danziger, director of strategic business alliances at CA. "By seeking the input of influential companies that deploy Linux, CA is committed to developing technology that will maximize the management capabilities and reliability of the OS, while maintaining the low cost of ownership enjoyed by the growing universe of Linux users."
Commitment to the Council will include regularly scheduled round table meetings and teleconference briefings.
"Linux and Open Source software continue to make tremendous inroads in enterprise organizations across a wide variety of industries," said Paul McNamara, general manager of the enterprise business unit at Red Hat. "The Linux Advisory Council brings together leaders from all of those industries to identify key user needs and help further accelerate the adoption of Open Source software."
"The Computer Associates Linux Advisory Council brings together a diverse group of IT professionals who have a common business need-enterprise-quality tools for Linux," said Jeff Davis, senior systems analyst at Amerada Hess. "By listening and reacting to the challenges facing IT managers already using Linux, the highest quality solutions will be developed for the enterprise. I look forward to continued involvement with the Council and to enterprise-class Linux solutions developed by CA."
"We are excited to participate in this effort to focus Linux benefits on the enterprise," said Kelly Phillipps, president and CEO of Center7. "Linux, and Open Source in general, have unique strengths that are currently being attuned to and enjoyed by only a fraction of those who may potentially benefit from them. We believe that this Council can help bring the enterprise-level benefits of Open Source and Linux to CA`s customers and corporate audience."
"Innovative technologies like Linux and Open Source play such a significant role in the growth of a young company like eToys," said Kayne Grau, director of technical services at eToys. "Through CA`s` Linux Advisory Council, we hope to not only extend the benefits of this unique technology for today`s` enterprises, but to leverage the unique business perspectives of Council members to continuously raise the bar for the enterprises of tomorrow."
"Influential software solution suppliers have clearly recognized the potential of Linux as a corporate computing platform and the importance of delivering this growing customer base the advanced tools they need to effectively deploy Linux as a key part of their enterprise environment," said Richard L. Ptak, vice president and service director at Hurwitz Group, a US-based research firm. "Vendor commitments represented by the Linux Advisory Council will play a critical role in the continuing evolution of the Linux platform within the enterprise into the next millennium."
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