Linux revolution hits home: OS makes its way into the telecom world

Linux, the gem of the open source movement, got a foot in the traditionally proprietary door of the telecommunications world last week when two companies announced telecom products for the operating system.

The Motorola Computer Group announced that it embraced Linux as a server platform, teaming with Lineo Inc., an embedded Linux software company, and Caldera Systems, a Linux distributor and service specialist, to offer its OEM customers Linux-based solutions. MCG plans to put Linux into as many applications as possible and offer support for the notoriously unsupported operating system.

At last week's LinuxWorld in San Jose, MCG introduced its first product based on the free operating system. Called the SLX series, MCG created an embedded platform for Internet, intranet and extranet networking applications. During the show, MCG also demonstrated a live satellite link and the device's network-in-a-box capabilities.

The Linux community has proved itself and is ready to be used in critical situations, said Dave Peters, business manager for strategic alliances at MCG. "It has been around for many years now and it has quite a following."

The company hopes to gain acceptance in the Linux community by giving away some of its secrets. "We are exposing the capabilities of our hardware along with some Linux source code improvements," said Peters. But some habits will be harder to change and the company is wrestling with what to do about certain intellectual property, he added.

On the more traditional side of the Linux community, start-up Vovida Networks showed the LinuxWorld crowd a fully functioning voice-over-IP system running on the Linux OS. The company's product, freeBX, an IP PBX system, touts scalability in an inexpensive piece of software that can be customized.

Vovida Networks is betting on the idea that the telecom world is ready for the opening of systems and the ability to personalize applications on the fly. "What this offers the individual carrier is the ability to be competitive. How can you be competitive if you are offering the same thing as everyone else - you have to be able to tweak it," said Steve Anderson, vice president of marketing for Vovida.

To accomplish this, the company puts on its Web site protocol stacks, including H.323, Annex F, MGCP and RTP, and support packages so customers can develop enhancements themselves.

Vovida Networks is planning beta trials for the beginning of January and is aiming for a March release date.