How is it that for eight months a team of up to a dozen ibm consultants has been toiling in the data centers and computer rooms of the Munich city government―free of charge? Having goaded Munich into embracing open-source software, IBM is helping it plan a migration of 14,000 computers off Microsoft Windows and onto the operating system known as Linux. Never mind that IBM doesn't sell Linux, which is distributed free. And never mind that Munich officials say they're not committed to buying IBM hardware or consulting services, despite all IBM's free help. Though IBM did not invent Linux, does not distribute it and earns nary a penny on it, the computer giant (2003 sales: $89 billion) is spending billions in a crusade to make Linux the world's most popular operating system. All told, more than 12,000 IBMers today devote at least part of their time to Linux. IBM has invested millions in two leading Linux distributors, Red Hat and SuSe. It has spent millions more to cofound and fund the nonprofit organization that oversees Linux development. In developing nations IBM has opened 20 Linux training centers, where it schmoozes government ministers and explains how Linux can create jobs for the young.
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