Red Hat chief outlines Open Source strategy

Bob Young, chief executive of Red Hat, said the vendor's acquisition of embedded compiler and developer Cygnus will help it spread the Open Source operating system into more markets than if it just concentrated on the enterprise sector.

Bob Young, chief executive of Red Hat, said the vendor's acquisition of embedded compiler and developer Cygnus will help it spread the Open Source operating system into more markets than if it just concentrated on the enterprise sector.

The acquisition places Linux firmly in the firing line as Microsoft powers up its embedded Windows CE strategy. But, speaking at Comdex, Young was bullish about Red Hat competing with the software giant. "No, Microsoft will be competing against us," he said.

Young said the market for embedded systems is worth $1bn (£625m). Figures from IDC estimate Cygnus owns 75 per cent of the embedded compiler market.

Young claimed a "feudal relationship" existed between vendors and users who risk breaking the law if they attempt to fix bugs themselves. But with Open Source software, users have a licence to improve things.

Young also said Red Hat does not sell the Linux operating system but the kernel for it. The product is turned into a useable application only when the kernel is supplemented with compilers.