Linux Foundation launches Open Mainframe Project for Companies Using Mainframe Computers

The Linux Foundation announced on Monday the launch of Open Mainframe Project. According to the non-profit technology trade association, the project is an open source endeavor that could provide help to those companies that use mainframe computers.

The new project has been driven by International Business Machines (IBM), which is the major supplier of mainframe computers. It has also announced to join hands with Canonical to design a Linux mainframe that runs Ubuntu Linux.

It has been about 15 years since Linux has been operating on mainframes. While talking about the new project, Jim Zemlin, executive director at the Linux Foundation, said the project is the result of increasing demand.

As per the reports, the main idea behind starting the project is to provide opportunities to those companies that are contributing in the project to work together and make a set of open source tools for Linux mainframes.

While shading light on the project, Ross Mauri, general manager for IBM Systems, said that new project offers customers, vendors and service providers a common place to come and work together. IBM has given about 250,000 lines of mainframe code to the Linux community.

Charles King, principal analyst at Pund-IT told TechCrunch, said, “Early members are companies that have a deep commitment to mainframe computing already, like IBM, BMC, CA Technologies and Marist College. The companies involved, especially IBM, are hoping to drive more mainframe usage by lowering the cost and complexity of owning one”.