_____About Filter_____ Filter looks at the day's top technology news through snapshots and analysis of what the world's media outlets are covering. Washingtonpost.com's new Mon.-Fri. feature is penned by technology reporter Cynthia L. Webb. If a technology story breaks, a company falters or triumphs, or there's a new trend in technology, Filter wants you to know about it. _____Filter Archive_____ • Will the Beatles Finally Let It Be Online? (washingtonpost.com, Jun 9, 2004) • Oracle's Perry Mason Moment (washingtonpost.com, Jun 8, 2004) • Biotech: Mainstream or Pipe Dream? (washingtonpost.com, Jun 7, 2004) • The Ballmer Treatment (washingtonpost.com, Jun 4, 2004) • Friendster Expands Its Network (washingtonpost.com, Jun 3, 2004) • More Past Issues __ Filter E-mail Reminder __ Sign-up for our daily e-letter for one-click access to Filter and other TechNews.com features. • Subscribe E-Mail This Article Print This Article Permission to Republish

By Cynthia L. Webb
washingtonpost.com Staff Writer
Thursday, May 27, 2004; 9:54 AM

Microsoft's Windows operating system runs on more than 90 percent of the world's computers, a market share that many believe is so overwhelming that no other company can ever hope to challenge it.

But maybe a little penguin with roots in Scandinavia is about to do the unthinkable. The Linux open-source operating system, appears to be winning over a critical mass of corporate customers that could ultimately spill over into the broader consumer technology market.

In a piece today, PCWorld says Linux "may not topple the Microsoft empire anytime soon, but recent offerings indicate that Linux distributors, hardware vendors, and developers are dedicated to making Linux on the desktop a reality. Distributions such as Xandros, Sun's Java Desktop System, and Lindows' Linspire are targeting new users interested in migrating from Windows. They offer easy-to-use and install distributions as well as inexpensive PCs preloaded with Linux, available at retailers such as Wal-Mart." Xandros CEO Rick Berenstein told the publication that "[s]ales of Xandros's distribution are up sixfold from a year ago ... He cites the lack of licensing fees for Linux, the availability of cheap hardware, and security problems with Windows as just a few reasons the open-source operating system is gaining popularity. Plenty of distributions have started teaming up with hardware vendors to make the transition to Linux easier for Windows users looking for alternatives."
• PC World: Will Your Next Desktop PC Run Linux

If you missed it, The Wall Street Journal devoted the lead article of its recent technology special section to the growth of Linux, reporting: "Having won broad acceptance for use in the corporate back office, open-source software is looking to challenge Microsoft Corp.'s dominance of the desktop PC. The timing -- and the technology -- are right for an assault to begin, proponents say. But do the challengers have a prayer?"

The Journal answered that question by looking at the case of "William Schmitz, business manager of the Wichita, Kan., YMCA. Mr. Schmitz became a fan of the open-source operating system called Linux last winter when he bought a $360 home PC at a Sam's Club warehouse store. ... Schmitz figures that if he could introduce Linux to the office, the organization could save a bundle. But he's stuck: The Wichita YMCA relies on a back-office accounting and membership software program that is compatible with Microsoft's Windows operating system but not with Linux. Such incompatibility is probably the biggest obstacle in open-source systems' pursuit of the desktop. Programmers have improved the ability of open-source software to share information with computers using the dominant Windows system and Microsoft's Office suite of applications. But there are still too many incompatibilities with the Microsoft world for many companies to feel comfortable about making the leap -- especially big corporations that have been Microsoft customers for years."

According to the Journal, these challenge don't mean Microsoft is destined to rule the desktop forever. "In fact, Linux's supporters would argue it's just beginning. Price, they say, will continue to push companies into using open-source software. In addition, some big names among computer and software sellers have decided to take on Microsoft with open-source products. What's more, proponents say, constant upgrading has brought open-source software to the point where it closely resembles the look of comparable Microsoft programs, making a switch less stressful for users. At the same time, open-source software generally requires less computing power, a factor that its proponents suggest could be especially important because a new version of Windows slated for release in 2006 will be beyond the capacity of many older computers. And, its supporters contend, Linux systems are less vulnerable to attack by computer viruses and worms."
• The Wall Street Journal: Can Linux Take Over the Desktop? (Subscription required)

The latest technology firm to consider the jump to Linux is anti-virus and computer security company Symantec. Bloomberg reported that CEO John Thompson said at a conference yesterday: "I could certainly envision myself using a Linux desktop." More from Bloomberg: "A formal study will begin after Symantec finishes a version of anti-virus software for Linux this year, he said. 'I'm not sure if it would be appropriate for everyone in the company.'... Many firms this year will be evaluating whether to switch to Linux as 'an alternative to the monopoly position that Microsoft has on the desktop,' Thompson said."
• Bloomberg via The Salt Lake Tribune: Symantec Considers Using Linux Software, CEO Says

The San Jose Mercury News picked up the Bloomberg story on its Web site yesterday, noting that "Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates has identified Linux as one of the biggest threats to growth. Companies including Charles Schwab Corp. use Linux on servers that manage files and Web sites, and Microsoft has said shipments of Linux for servers will grow more than twice as fast as Windows in the year ending June 30. The Linux threat may expand if companies such as Symantec beginning using the software on personal computers. Companies such as Hewlett-Packard have said they'll sell Linux PCs."
• The San Jose Mercury News: Symantec May Go With Linux (Registration required)

Oracle's use of Linux is another victory for the open-source operating system. Oracle said yesterday that its 9,000-person programming operation will all be on Linux by year's end, and 5,000 programmers for its Oracle applications software moved to Linux in October, CNET's News.com reported. "Oracle is switching because Linux systems are less expensive and faster," CNET said, citing the information to Wim Coekaerts, director of Linux engineering for Oracle.
• CNET's News.com: Oracle To Finish Linux Makeover This Year

As Linux goes mainstream, the free-wheeling nature of how the software system is tweaked is changing. Linux creator Linus Torvalds floated a plan earlier this week to help verify contributions to the Linux source code, an idea backed by the nonprofit Open Source Development Labs (OSDL). OSDL said Monday it was adopting a new system to track and certify contributions to the Linux kernel, or central hub of the system, to "ensure developers receive credit for their contributions."

The New York Times, in its coverage of the plan, indicated that the move shows the Linux "is becoming a mainstream technology and is being forced to behave more like one." The Times called the new Developer's Certificate of Origin "a response to concerns among corporate users of Linux that procedures for adding new code to the evolving operating system have been too informal and lacking in documentation. Tracing the origin of code, analysts say, is vital to avoiding legal challenges that Linux contains pilfered software."
• The New York Times: R.I.P: The Counterculture Aura of Linux (Registration required)

The certification plan may have been inspired by a massive legal assault on Linux launched by a little Utah software firm called The SCO Group (more background here). The Wall Street Journal said while "the new process won't help settle those controversies [like SCO's suits], it could help avoid future disputes by reducing the labor in documenting authorship of parts of the operating system, Mr. Torvalds said in an e-mail to a mailing list of Linux devotees." OSDL chief executive Stuart Cohen told The San Jose Mercury News that "[a]s Linux is becoming more mainstream, there has been a requirement from a number of companies and organizations to have a better tracking process in place." More from OSDL's statement: "The Linux development process has worked well for more than 10 years but with its success has come new challenges," Cohen said. "The measure we announce today goes a long way toward eliminating doubt surrounding the origin of Linux code, and does so without placing any undue burden on the development community."
• The Wall Street Journal: New Systems Will Track Contributions To Linux (Subscription required)
• The San Jose Mercury News: Linux System To Track Changes (Registration required)

Google's Gmail service can chalk up a legislative victory. California State Sen. Liz Figueroa (D) originally penned legislation to require e-mail providers to get an OK from e-mail authors before scanning the content of messages, a proposal inspired by worries that Google's plans to scan Gmail messages and insert contextual ads would violate users' privacy. Figueroa has now backed off and tweaked her legislation, which would no longer require e-mail providers to get users' permission to scan messages. However, e-mail service companies "would not be allowed to glean details from people's electronic messages to compile dossiers useful for marketing under a bill expected to pass the state Senate today," The Los Angeles Times reported today.

More from the L.A. Times: "Though instantaneous scanning of e-mails is no longer banned in the legislation, privacy advocates have requested Atty. Gen. Bill Lockyer determine whether such examinations violate wiretap privacy laws, which make it illegal to intercept conversations without the consent of the parties involved. Lockyer has yet to make a determination, a spokesman said. The revised version of SB 1822 would forbid service providers from retaining any of the information they find in personal e-mails. It also would ban humans from looking at the information, leaving it only to computer programs that would scan through messages seeking clues for what kind of advertising might appeal to the e-mail recipients."
• The Los Angeles Times: State Senate Expected To OK E-mail Bill (Registration required)

An editorial in The San Jose Mercury News today says the Figueroa bill should be changed yet again: "The twice rewritten bill now has the right aim: to bar Google, or any other e-mail service, from using the content of e-mails to build profiles of users or to share users' private information with others. Those are the real privacy concerns raised by Google's innovative and controversial e-mail service. Unfortunately, Figueroa's amended bill could have the unintended consequence of restricting innovation. If the bill clears the Senate this week, Figueroa should amend it before it heads to the Assembly. But rather than codifying what companies can't do with the content of an e-mail -- keep track of it, share it with third parties -- Figueroa's bill codifies what they can do. That would force entrepreneurs to check every potential e-mail innovation to make sure it's authorized by the law. Figueroa's bill, SB 1822, has improved dramatically since it was first introduced. With only a minor change, it could become a truly sound privacy bill."
• The San Jose Mercury News: Gmail Privacy Bill Just Needs A Tweak (Registration required)

Yahoo today is launching a new anti-spyware service through its free toolbar software to help computer users spot and get rid of spyware -- software that gets surreptitiously loaded on a computer to track Web surfing habits and other computer data. "Antispyware software is already available from a number of sources, including some Internet service providers and vendors of antivirus software. But consumer frustration with the unwanted programs continues to grow -- spyware is quickly replacing spam as the online annoyance computer users most complain about. Yahoo's new service uses technology from PestPatrol Inc., a closely held Carlisle, Penn. maker of antispyware software," The Wall Street Journal reported.
• The Wall Street Journal: Yahoo Plans Antispyware Service (Subscription required)

And following a growing trend (like Google's limited test of its Gmail service), Yahoo "will offer the toolbar upgrade only to a select number of people at beta.toolbar.yahoo.com, Yahoo spokeswoman Stephanie Iwamasa said," according to CNET's News.com. "Yahoo joins other companies in the fight against the growth of spyware. EarthLink recently introduced antispyware technology for its subscribers. And last week, Google urged software makers to follow common-sense guidelines when writing programs that embed themselves on Internet users' PCs. It stated that the programs should be clearly labeled, permit consumers to disable them, and not perform actions such leaking personal information," the article said. Reuters noted that "Yahoo's move comes amid increasing competition for Web surfers against rivals Google Inc. and Microsoft Corp., which also offer popular browser toolbars, in the market for search and information services, along with related advertising."
• CNET's News.com: Yahoo Embraces Antispyware
• Reuters: Yahoo Adds Antispyware Feature To Browser Toolbar

Comcast is going all-out in its bid to win customers over to its Internet telephone services, a move that "will place Comcast in direct competition with AT&T, which unveiled its own Internet telephone service in April for most of California. At the same time, Comcast will be up against industry upstarts Vonage and 8x8," The San Francisco Chronicle reported, noting the Comcast service will be up by 2006. Reuters said "Comcast follows rivals Time Warner Cable, Cablevision Systems Corp. and Cox Communications Inc. in combining phone service with video and Internet service in a bid to take business from the Baby Bells, while giving consumers an incentive not to switch to satellite TV. But with 21.5 million subscribers, Comcast is far larger than its competitors and analysts say it offers the biggest long-term threat to telecom carriers in the areas it serves."
• The San Francisco Chronicle: Comcast Dials Up
• Reuters via washingtonpost.com: Comcast To Offer Phone Service By 2006

But USA Today reported that 2006 is just a target date. "After years of big talk and tests, cable operators agree: They finally have the right technology and business plans to challenge phone companies with an array of low-priced local and long-distance services. The big surprise these days is that several operators, no strangers to hype, are warning consumers and investors not to expect too much, too soon. Comcast found itself in the uncomfortable position Wednesday of having to correct reports that it was committed to offering phone service via its cable lines to the 40 million homes in its service areas by 2006," the paper said. "It depends on how our tests work out," Comcast's D'Arcy Rudnay said, according to USA Today. "That's the key, key message."
• USA Today: Cable Poised To Offer Phone Service, Just Not So Fast

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