Linux Technology Center
| Company type | Division |
|---|---|
| Industry | Software development |
| Founded | 1999 |
| Headquarters | United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Number of employees | 600 (2006) |
| Parent | IBM |
The Linux Technology Center (LTC) at IBM is a dedicated division concentrating on the advancement of the Linux kernel along with associated open-source software initiatives. Founded in 1999, IBM established the LTC to unify its Linux and open-source software engineers under one entity. Initial projects aimed to ensure that "all server platforms supported Linux effectively." The LTC partnered with the Linux community to enhance Linux efficiency across various hardware platforms, including x86, mainframe, PowerPC, and Power ISA. More recently, the scope of its work has broadened to encompass numerous additional open-source efforts.
Beginning with an initial team of approximately 185 staff members in 1999, the LTC expanded to nearly 600 employees by 2006, with around 300 dedicated exclusively to Linux development. By December 2000, IBM disclosed an investment close to one billion US dollars in Linux-related activities for that year, employing roughly 1,500 developers focused on this platform. The company intended to maintain a comparable level of investment in 2001 and committed to constructing the largest Linux-based supercomputer for Royal Dutch/Shell Oil. Although most resources were allocated toward Linux projects, some funding also supported other operating systems, primarily AIX. IBM’s senior vice president Bill Zeitler noted that the majority of this expenditure was recovered within the first year through sales of software and systems.
Details
Developers at the LTC actively contribute to significant open-source projects such as:
- Kernel-based Virtual Machine (KVM) for x86 and Power architectures, including Kimchi
- Apache Hadoop
- OpenStack
- OpenPOWER Foundation
- GNU toolchain
- Standards related to open source
The LTC maintains a global presence with principal offices located in Australia, Brazil, China, Germany, India, Israel, and the United States.
External links
- IBM Linux Technology Center (archived December 2023)
- Joe Barr, 2001: Inside IBM's Linux Technology Center (archived December 2023)