Linuxcare To Provide Tech Service and Support In Japan

Linuxcare, Inc. recently entered into a strategic partnership with Densa Techno Tokyo K.K. (DTTS) — a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi Electronics Services Co., Ltd. — to provide Linux-related technical service and support for the Japanese open-source market.

Under terms of the agreement, Linuxcare will provide high-level support for DTTS support engineers, enabling them, in turn, to offer support for their customers. “Japanese businesses are embracing the many advantages of the Linux operating system (OS),” observed Fernand B. Sarrat, president and CEO of Linuxcare.

Challenging Windows

The Japanese market is taking the Linux OS seriously. A bundled version made available by TurboLinux outsold its Windows rival this past December upon market introduction. DTTS recently launched its Synthesis Linux Solution Center to meet Japan’s rising interest, and Linuxcare technical experts will add tremendous weight to the operation.

“DTTS anticipates tremendous growth in demand for Linux services in Japan,” commented Ikuichi Takeyama, president of DTTS. “Our strategic partnership with Linuxcare will advance the adoption of Linux in Japanese enterprises.”

About The Companies

“We are delighted to work with DTTS to provide the highest quality of Linux services to Japanese companies,” added Sarrat. San Francisco-based Linuxcare is a provider of consulting, education, product certification and technical support for all distributions of Linux. Dell Computer is a Linuxcare strategic partners.

DTTS is a provider of UNIX and PC systems integration and support services for Japanese businesses, including retail, consumer electronics and information systems vendors.

Linux: the International OS of Choice?

“Linux is well on its way to becoming the operating system of choice in many nations around the world,” commented Sam Ockman, president and founder of Penguin Computing on the occasion of his company’s announcement to extend support in 15 languages.

Functionality and cost are obviously important criteria for software purchases, more so in fact outside the US, according to Ockman and others. Critically, however, with regard to operating systems, Microsoft is not the center of the universe for consumers, particularly in developing countries.

“Few people in developing countries have been forced for years to use Microsoft machines, therefore many of our international customers have not yet developed Microsoft-centric computer habits,” added Ockman.

Tire-Kicking @ Home

With regard to the US market, Doug Bennett, President of MacMillan Publishing, observed in a recent E-Commerce Times interview “that there is a lot of tire-kicking going on right now, because Linux has done a great job of getting a lot of PR about Linux.” Some industry observers are looking to international markets for a more insightful field test of the open-source OS.