Intel has released the first Linux version of its Open Source Computer Vision Library. The Open Source Computer Vision Library provides a wide range of functions that will help researchers develop ways to use computer vision as a method for people to interact with computers.

Companies opening their source code have gained much popularity and publicity because of the Linux revolution.

Red Hat completed the acquisition of privately-held C2Net Software for approximately $42.7 million. C2Net's Stronghold is the most popular commercial SSL Web server on the Internet with more than 30 percent of the secure web server market.

Wireless is hot among developers now," said Janel Garvin, VP of Research at Evans Data, "but this increase among Linux developers is astounding.

The OSS model is working for bigger projects such as the Linux kernel and other major applications like Apache, BIND, etc. However, it's failing with newer projects as individual applications result due to people unwilling to contribute to other people's work.

After weeks of aggressive posturing and months of strategic maneuvering, two leading embedded Linux companies, Lineo and MontaVista Software, squared off in a high-profile public relations shoot-out this week.

When open-source developers and IBM took gambles on each other, free software showed it can flourish in the heartland of corporate computing.

Having a Linux offering is a real interesting opportunity, because the open source movement of Linux gives customers the ability to add, customize and deploy a

very unique solution for their organization.

According to Microsoft president and chief executive Steve Ballmer, Sun, IBM, Oracle, America Online and "the phenomenon of Linux" are currently the biggest threats to the software giant.

Linux will be the fastest growing software platform, with its market earnings tipped to increase by 33 per cent over the next four years to $US3.39 billion, a Salomon Smith Barney report says.