Posted by : Anonymous on Aug 09, 2004 - 05:45 PM Linux

Tech executives, software developers and others will gather in San Francisco this week to talk about how they are putting Linux to use in business.More than 10,000 people are expected to attend the LinuxWorld Conference and Expo starting today and running through Thursday at the Moscone Center.

This year's gathering will include more than 190 exhibitors, compared with 135 last year, according to IDG World Expo, which sponsors the event. One notable exception is Microsoft, which participated in LinuxWorld as an exhibitor last year, but not this year.

Microsoft considers Linux a competitive threat and is making a major push to convince businesses that its Windows platform offers lower total cost for customers.

Yet Linux, the open source operating system created by Linus Torvalds, has continued gaining momentum over the past year.

"Linux as an operating system and Linux on the server level are a reality. Now a lot of applications are starting to be written on Linux," said Warwick Davies, group vice president at IDG World Expo. "A tipping point has been reached. For many companies, it's not a question of whether, but how I get involved."

Expo topics include security issues, new Linux-based business applications and desktop Linux. Hewlett-Packard and Dell are expected to unveil new initiatives for Linux on the desktop.

On Tuesday, Red Hat Chief Executive Matthew Szulik will give the conference's first keynote presentation. Tuesday also includes keynotes by Martin Fink, vice president for Linux at HP, and Michael Steven Rocha, executive vice president for Linux at Oracle.