Vorbis - Dec 2000 - IBM invests $ 10^9 in Linux, maybe they'll sponsor Vorbis?

Hello Vorbis developers,

you probably had the same idea already, but maybe IBM
is interested in sponsoring Vorbis, or being your patron.
If they are going to invest $ 10^9 in Linux, protecting
vorbis from harm, and possible injecting resources into
that project would be peanuts to them.
I don't know if IBM does anything with multimedia, but
they could only gain if strong technology in that field
(digital audio/video codecs) were available for Linux.
They certainly are a match to fraunhofer et co.
And I would not be surprised if they wanted to employ
you right away.
Finding the right people to talk to could be a problem,
maybe.

Anyway,

just my .02 c suggestion.

Roland


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The danger with IBM (speaking as one who is aquainted with numerous
ex-IBM-employees) is that they are extremely cutthroat.  If they like
your idea, they are more likely to attempt a hostile takeover than
become benevolent sponsors and guardians.  There may have been policy
changes in recent years, but IBM doesn't have a great track record for
its dealings with other companies.

Of course, if you COULD get them to ally themselves with you, I'd say
you'd be in pretty awesome shape.

Steven

Roland Nagtegaal wrote:
> 
> Hello Vorbis developers,
> 
> you probably had the same idea already, but maybe IBM
> is interested in sponsoring Vorbis, or being your patron.
> If they are going to invest $ 10^9 in Linux, protecting
> vorbis from harm, and possible injecting resources into
> that project would be peanuts to them.
> I don't know if IBM does anything with multimedia, but
> they could only gain if strong technology in that field
> (digital audio/video codecs) were available for Linux.
> They certainly are a match to fraunhofer et co.
> And I would not be surprised if they wanted to employ
> you right away.
> Finding the right people to talk to could be a problem,
> maybe.
> 
> Anyway,
> 
> just my .02 c suggestion.
> 
> Roland
> 
> --
> 
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Hi:

Surely it's got to be worth looking into.  That's a lot of money, and if
IBM intend to be hostile with everyone they plough their money into,
they'll make no friends in the linux world.  They say at least that they
want to foster open standards, which would seem to me to include things
like vorbis.

I suspect you might have trouble getting money from redhat because of
Microsoft's financial interests (you just can't escape them, can
you?).  Not sure about SUSE, they do seem to be sponsoring ALSA.

For anyone who hasn't read the story, the piece from News Scan Daily
follows:

IBM TO PUMP $1 BILLION INTO LINUX
IBM plans to invest $1 billion next year in the Linux operating system, in 
an effort to propel Linux into the mainstream commercial environment to 
encourage the development of open standards for Internet infrastructure, 
said IBM chairman and CEO Lou Gerstner during a keynote address at the 
eBusiness Conference and Expo yesterday. Gerstner said the days of 
proprietary server systems, such as those operated by Sun Microsystems, EMC 
and Microsoft, are numbered: "It will be interesting to see if any company 
with a proprietary Unix system will have a meaningful business." Gerstner 
predicted that Linux server shipments will overtake those of other 
companies in the next few years. (Wall Street Journal 13 Dec 2000)
http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB976650399196757666.htm

Geoff.


-- 
Geoff Shang <gshang10@scu.edu.au>
ICQ number 43634701

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