Cisco's $100,000 bounty: Get paid to love Linux, diss Microsoft

Most hardware and software vendors live in fear of Microsoft. Few dare to take the company head-on.

Cisco, however, has a different plan. As revealed by The VAR Guy, Cisco wants developers moving to its network-aware applications written for Cisco's AXP (Application Extension Platform) and Integrated Services Routers (ISRs), and away from Microsoft Windows. Instead of just wishful thinking, however, Cisco is putting real dollars behind its initiative to move developers to Linux: 100,000 of them.

(Credit: Matt Asay)

So, you're a Linux geek and have always wondered why triathletes get $40,000 in prize money for winning the San Francisco Triathlon, when you're the one doing the hard work? Wonder no more. The details are here, but the short of it is this: Cisco wants to beat Microsoft in the Unified Communications market, and is looking to Linux application developers to help it.

I asked Cisco's PR team to give me the skinny on why Cisco values Linux geeks all of the sudden:

The reason that Linux application developers are valued [so highly] is that Cisco has developed a card that runs Linux that plugs into their routers. The Cisco Application eXtension Platform (AXP) puts Linux at the heart of the network beast. This will probably interest C, Python, Java, and Perl developers. The Cisco AXP is a Linux server blade that plugs into Cisco routers and runs a Cisco hardened Linux running a 2.6 kernel. The AXP hardware goes up to a 1.6GHz Pentium chip, 2 GB RAM, and 160 GB of storage.

Proposals must be in by January 12, 2009. Now is your chance to stick it to the Microsoft man, and take away $50,000 (first prize) for your troubles.

[Penguinisto]

May be worth a peek-see. Will the resulting/winning code be allowed GPL licensing, then?

[AppleSuxLeo]

Eeeew Cisco has always reminded me of Crisco...the hard at room temp. artery clogging white shortening used for baking. Cisco is a terrible name.
Did you know MSFT gives you 25GB of free storage with Windows Live Sky Drive ???
I love MSFT !

[Dalkorian]

I thought prostitution was illegal.

[GarCorp]

@AppleSuxLeo
I am surprised I'm wasting my time on commenting to you, but you waste LOTS of my time on every conceivable board I read with your negative diatribe.

Your useless ******** frustrates me when I'm simply looking for RELEVANT opinions. I've ignored it for eons. But please take your tripe to a whiner's anonymous forum or something.

Were you always the last one picked for the team at recess? Why are you so bitter about everything? Even your screen name sums you up.

Now, that's the end of MY whining diatribe.... thank you

[thenetworker]

Microsoft will be overtaken by Google with cloud computing and by Apple in desktop. Cisco doesn't have any competition and can battle in clouds as well as desktop. Going Linux is smart strategy for Cisco. After Bill Gates has gone, Microsoft has gone soft with baldmer.

I love IOS - JunOs is CtrlC, CtrV of IOS. I don't write code, but my friends do. I'm gonna help them.

[AppleSuxLeo]

Yea sure...just like Linux took over Windows on the desktop. Keep dreaming , boy.

[MSSlayer]

That is pretty funny given that Cisco is the MS of the network world, especially in lock-in and overpricing their stuff.

The big difference is that Cisco makes first rate hardware, and MS makes third rate software.

Foundry beats Cisco on price, less lock-in, and they don't nickly and dime you to death by selling individual modules like Cisco does.

[thenetworker]

Foundry? You mean Brocade?

[MSSlayer]

Until my contacts email address changes from @foundry.com to @brocade.com it is still foundry.

Besides, brocade bought them to leverage their hardware not become a hardware focused company.

When MS bought Ensemble studios, they still remained Ensemble. And not just because MS couldn't produce a quality game on their own.