[Reader-list] IBM frees 500 software patents

[Supreet Sethi]

IBM has been really sucessful service company. Throughout history of
IBM, they did'nt have a single successful product ... following being
the list of worst failures to capture market since they stepped into
PC market

OS/2
OS/2 Wrap
ViaVoice
VisualAge
Weblogic Suite
 
and the list goes on...

However having said that OSS for IBM is a oppertunity it would'nt want
to lose... while every one else would bunch up products. IBM is busy
stepping in as vendor providing complete sloutions to dud companies
hyper-charging for "services" and selling proprietery solutions
bundled up with open-source platforms.

IBM actively encourages its clients to use "extensions" which cannot
be provided by any other vendors, even if the product is OSS.  These
facts will never come out it open, most of the IBM clients I know have
heavy dependence on IBM services.

Funny part is, if you talk to IBM sales, pre-sales, post-sales, they
still have subtle pro-Microsoft stance. So the theory of IBM as well
oiled engine is rather absurd.

regards

Supreet