Silicon Valley Watcher: Irving Wladawsky-Berger

Irving Wladawsky-Berger is one of IBM’s top strategists. He has been the key open-source evangelist within Big Blue, persuading the company to standardize on Linux as one of its core business strategies.
Linux and the entire open-source movement would have taken a lot longer to establish itself if it wasn’t for the support of the world’s largest computer company. IBM provided the credibility that gave corporations the confidence to use Linux. And it has been IBM’s defense of the intellectual property around Linux that has kept it from being mired in dozens of lawsuits.
I interviewed Mr. Wladawsky-Berger on his recent visit to Silicon Valley. He’s one of my favorite industry people and it is always a pleasure to chat and compare notes. He announced that he was retiring at the end of May, but he will still be involved with IBM and academia. More info here.
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