Microsoft to face reheated Linux challenge from IBM, HP and Intel

A new Linux cooperative that is expected to be announced Monday could cause refocused competitive pressures for Microsoft Corp., maker of the popular Windows operating system, according to a Monday article in The New York Times.

Rival technology companies Intel Corp., Hewlett-Packard Co. and International Business Machines Corp., or IBM, are expected to announce a new collaborative effort called the Linux Foundation, the report said.

The foundation will focus on promoting, protecting and standardizing Linux, which is an open-source challenger to Windows. While the program itself is free, related software, hardware and services businesses total about $14.5 billion (€11.2 billion), it said.

Source: The Associated Press