Is it360 the death of the linux show in TO?

[Evan Leibovitch]

tleslie wrote:
> I reg. for it360 and only just now went to check out this years exhibitors,
> no novell, no hp, no vmware, no 3ware, no redhat, ....
> not a lot,
> now i don't know whether to go to the it360 now ?....
> except maybe to go because this will be the last show?
>
> I thought it wasn't half bad the last two-three years,
> I am almost wondering if I am reading 
> the wrong exhibitor list?
>
> You would think with Linux growth it would be increasing with respect to
> exhibitors.
>
> f%$^ing depressing.
>   
There's another angle on this.

Linux is now part of the mainstream, and doesn't need a ghetto of its
own. Open source is a significant part of overall IT strategy, and is
rarely considered in a vacuum.

Red Hat doesn't need to build awareness within the Linux community.
Where Red Hat now exhibits is in IT shows aimed at specific industry
sectors, where it competes with Microsoft, Unix vendors, other Linux
vendors, and Oracle :-). Buyers won't go to a separate show just to see
the Linux component.

This, combined with the Internet's ability to serve as a resource centre
and redefined business travel priorities, this has affected more than
just the Toronto show.

Remember the huge LinuxWorld show that used to be held every winter at
NYC's Javitz Centre? It moved to Boston for two years and then just
faded away. Everything's now consolidated at the summer show in SanFran.
Others shows have already felt the pain -- remember Comdex?

If anything, this transition indicates an important maturing of Linux.
You don't go to see Linux at a Linux show anymore, you go to see Linux
at mainstream IT shows. Shows like IT360 are trying to evolve to satisfy
the needs of the Linux community, as well as those conference goers that
want a broader scope (as well as new technologies, sich as this year's
Asterisk and Open Source VOIP conference within IT360 and last year's
Smalltalk presence).

- Evan

Disclaimer: I am doing some work under contract for IT360 show
organizers. I'd still have the same opinion, though, even if I wasn't.


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