Linux lab gets new CEO, new direction

The Open Source Development Lab, a programming center devoted to bringing high-end features to Linux, announced a new chief executive and an expanded partnership plan Monday.

OSDL's 30 employees today are funded by major computing companies such as Intel, Hewlett-Packard, NEC, Fujitsu, IBM, and Dell Computer as well as Linux specialists including Red Hat, SuSE, Miracle Linux and MontaVista Software. Under the new CEO, Stuart F. Cohen, the company will seek participation and sponsorship from those companies' customers.

OSDL was founded in 2000 to bring high-end features to Linux, such as the ability to take advantage of all the chips in multiprocessor servers. The organization's mission is to improve Linux, a move that would help the operating system stack up better against operating systems such as Microsoft Windows and various versions of Unix.

Cohen most recently was vice president of marketing and business development at embedded computing hardware and software maker Radisys but spent 17 of his 22 years in the computing industry at IBM. He replaced Jerry Greenberg, who will remain on OSDL's board of directors, the organization said.

Among Cohen's goals will be to "dramatically increase the number of sponsors" and attract the world's largest corporations to join OSDL, the organization said in a statement.

Corporate sponsorship costs a minimum of $10,000 per year.

In addition to its own programming work, OSDL has two development centers--located in Beaverton, Ore., and Japan--that outside programmers can use to test their software on high-powered multiprocessor computers.