Linux Foundation's Jim Zemlin on another great year

Glyn Moody | Computerworld | November 12, 2012

Last year, I interviewed the head of the Linux Foundation, Jim Zemlin, about his own career, and about his organisation. That interview took place at the first European LinuxCon, which was held in Prague. This year, it took place in Barcelona, and I took the opportunity to catch up with Zemlin on what had happened in the intervening time (disclosure: the Linux Foundation paid for my travelling and accommodation while I was there.)

It seems it has been a good year for the Foundation, with a number of major companies joining up for the first time, or upgrading their membership. Zemlin says that income as a result has gone up by "double digit percentages".

The involvement of one company in particular has caused a few raised eyebrows. Microsoft's appearance as a "gold sponsor" of the European meeting has led some to suggest that the Linux Foundation had sold out by allowing Microsoft to speak at one session. But Zemlin says that the speaking session did not come as part of the sponsorship deal: