Oracle unveiled a Linux support offering for Red Hat's enterprise Linux
distribution in October, claiming that a lack of proper support was holding back
the open source operating system.
Red Hat sells its Linux software as a subscription service which includes
support and updates. Users can acquire the software itself essentially free of
charge.
Oracle prices its support below Red Hat's, and offers to maintain outdated
versions which Red Hat no longer supports.
The initial hype around the offering, however, has failed to generate much
market appeal. Although Oracle can support and patch Red Hat's software, the
company lacks a track record as an operating system developer.
Jonathan Schwartz, chief executive at
Sun
Microsystems, told reporters last week that Oracle's Linux support had "
little to no effect on the marketplace".
"The barriers to entry to compete against an operating system are a lot
higher than they were historically," he said.
Do you agree?
Have your say on this article