It’s another small step for Linux and open source in the IT channel. Specifically, Hewlett-Packard and the Open Source Channel Alliance (led by Synnex and Red Hat) have launched the Open Source Jump-Start Appliance. Here’s what HP’s move means to VARs and their customers.

It has been roughly four months since Red Hat, Synnex, Alfresco, EnterpriseDB and other open source companies unveiled the Open Source Channel Alliance. The effort aims to promote open source applications and Linux to IT consultants, integrators and resellers. Here are the top three questions I plan to pose to the alliance on Aug. 3.

Novell and Tech Data have inked a partnership to promote SUSE Linux and open source application appliances to VARs and channel partners. In some (but not all) ways, the partnership counters recent work by Red Hat and Synnex (co-founders of the Open Source Channel Alliance). Here’s the scoop.

"A brand new initiative endorsed by Red Hat and Synnex (a business process services company) is called the Open Source Channel Alliance.

Tech Data, Synnex, Red Hat, Novell and the Open Source Channel Alliance continue to promote open source applications to VARs and solutions providers. But are open source VARs really ready for prime time? Yes and no. Here’s why.

A landmark event occurred today when the Open Source Channel Alliance launched. Although far from perfect, the alliance shows that Linux and open source applications are gaining momentum with mid-market resellers and solutions providers. The problem: Red Hat is a driving force in the alliance, and Canonical isn't involved.

Results of a recent poll show that the stagnant economy may be leading more organizations to adopt open-source software to save on licensing fees, according ot the Open Solutions Alliance. Customers also are concerned about interoperability between open-source software and Microsoft Windows.

Russian Linux software developers have created an alliance to jointly participate in tenders to supply schools with open source software. The total number of specialist entering the alliance has exceeded the given number in Mandriva and Ubuntu Canonical producer, all in all.

Digium and Asterisk, the open source IP PBX platform, just received a major vote of confidence from a key partner in the unified communications market. Synnex Corp., a distributor that supplies more than 15,000 resellers in North America, has agreed to promote Digium’s Switchvox to its partner base. Here are the implications for Digium.