Linux: It's a London thing

A Linux shop has opened on London's South Bank, showcasing the benefits of open source to the capital's businesses.

Within a stone's throw of the City and the offices of some of the world's largest financial institutions, the shop will provide business users with the opportunity to see for themselves what the Linux operating system can do for their IT systems.

The shop is located at IBM's head offices overlooking the River Thames along from Waterloo Bridge. As well as offering information and support services for the open source OS, the shop will also offer services from Linux vendor Red Hat as well as Oracle and RealNetworks, making it an Aladdin's cave of Microsoft alternatives.

The launch and the location are part of a drive to see more major companies such as banks and insurers move over to Linux.

Most banks favour Microsoft over Linux, seeing the market leader as a safer option.

But Andy Cash, IBM's European head of Linux services for the financial sector, told Reuters he expects 20 to 30 per cent of all banks to work with Linux in just a few years time.