VA Linux Systems Expands in Europe; Announces Acquisition of Linux Consulting Company in Belgium; Wichert Akkerman, Debian Leader, Joins VA Linux in the Netherlands.Business Editors/High-Tech Writers IDG IDG International Data Group IDG Integrated Drive Generator IDG Installation Design Guide IDG Internet Discussion Group IDG Inset Dielectric Guide IDG International Dangerous Goods (mail, shipping) LinuxWorld Conference & Expo FRANKFURT, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 4, 2000 VA Linux Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq:LNUX), Diamond Sponsor of the IDG LinuxWorld Conference & Expo being held this week in Frankfurt, Germany, today announced that it has expanded its operations in Germany, the UK, the Netherlands and Belgium with a number of key additions to its European team. Over the last several months, VA Linux has hired managing directors for its German and British offices, and key developers including Wichert Akkerman Wichert Akkerman is a Dutch computer programmer, best known for his contributions to Debian, dpkg, plone and strace. He was elected for two terms as the Debian Project Leader and served from January 1999 to March 2001. He was succeeded in that role by Ben Collins. , leader of the Debian Project, who is based in the Netherlands. In addition, VA Linux has entered into an agreement to acquire Life, a privately-held Linux consulting company Noun 1. consulting company - a firm of experts providing professional advice to an organization for a fee consulting firm business firm, firm, house - the members of a business organization that owns or operates one or more establishments; "he worked for a in Belgium, to help expand its professional services (job) professional services - A department of a supplier providing consultancy and programming manpower for the supplier's products. operations in Europe. "VA Linux Systems' growing European team will help us deliver comprehensive Linux solutions to the European Internet market--servers, software, services and storage--and work closely with the Open Source developer community in Europe," said Robert Russo, senior vice president and general manager of worldwide sales, marketing and services, VA Linux Systems. "Combined with our recently announced Linux and Open Source consortium in Japan, the recent expansion of our European sales and engineering teams helps to position VA Linux as a worldwide leader in Linux solutions for Internet infrastructure." Key Developer Hires in the Netherlands and the UK Wichert Akkerman, leader of the Debian Project, has joined VA Linux Systems in the Netherlands. Debian GNU/Linux is currently the most popular non-commercial version of the Linux operating system. Key to Debian's success is its ongoing development by over 500 volunteer developers worldwide who maintain more than 3,800 free software packages. Mr. Akkerman was elected by his peers and has served as Debian Project leader since February 1999 and as a member of the Debian security team since 1998. Joining VA Linux as systems engineer in the UK is Richard Morrell, co-author of Smoothwall (smoothwall.sourceforge.net), a popular new software firewall and dial-up router for SOHO Soho (sōhō`, sə–), district of Westminster, London, England, known for its continental restaurants. Once a fashionable quarter, it became popular among writers and artists in the 19th cent. , home or telecommuting telecommuting, an arrangement by which people work at home using a computer and telephone, transmitting work material to a business office by means of a modem and telephone lines; it is also known as telework. network running Linux, Microsoft Windows, or Mac OS. Alan Hourihane, a contributor to Samba samba Ballroom dance of Brazilian origin, popularized in the U.S. and Europe in the 1940s. Danced to music in ⁴⁄₄ time with a syncopated rhythm, the dance is characterized by simple forward and backward steps and tilting, rocking body movements. and Direct Rendering Infrastructure In computing, the Direct Rendering Infrastructure (DRI) is an interface and a free software implementation used in the X Window System to securely allow user applications to access the video hardware without requiring data to be passed (slowly) through the X server. (DRI See Digital Research. ), has also joined VA Linux Systems' operations in the UK as a professional services engineer. Key Management Hires in Germany and the UK VA Linux Systems has named Walther Schumann as managing director of German operations, which are headquartered in Frankfurt, and Ed Cole as managing director of UK operations. Walther Schumann joins VA Linux Systems from Adaptec, where he served as European marketing director. Ed Cole joins VA Linux from EMC (1) (EMC Corporation, Hopkinton, MA, www.emc.com) The leading supplier of storage products for midrange computers and mainframes. Founded in 1979 by Richard J. Egan and Roger Marino, EMC has developed advanced storage and retrieval technologies for the world's largest companies. , where he served most recently as business development manager. Both Mr. Schumann and Mr. Cole report to William Cobert, managing director of European operations and a ten-year veteran of SGI (SGI, Sunnyvale, CA, www.sgi.com) A manufacturer of workstations and servers, founded in 1982 by Jim Clark. The company was founded as Silicon Graphics, Inc., but changed to its acronym in 1999. . Acquisition of "Life" Consulting Company in Belgium With VA Linux's acquisition of Life (www.life.be), a privately-held company in Belgium focused on 24x7 Linux support services support services Psychology Non-health care-related ancillary services–eg, transportation, financial aid, support groups, homemaker services, respite services, and other services and training, VA Linux Europe will gain a group of skilled Linux professionals. Jasper Nguyens, a long-time UNIX UNIX Operating system for digital computers, developed by Ken Thompson of Bell Laboratories in 1969. It was initially designed for a single user (the name was a pun on the earlier operating system Multics). consultant, founded Life in February 1999. "The acquisition of Life will help VA Linux Europe build its professional services, support and training organization," said William Cobert, managing director of European operations, VA Linux Systems. "Our goal in Europe, as in the US and Japan, is to make our customers successful by providing them with ongoing access to our Linux expertise." About VA Linux Systems VA Linux Systems is the world's Linux leader. The expert provider of Linux and Open Source solutions for the Web, VA Linux offers a single point of contact for highly customized Linux servers and storage - featuring the industry's first Build-to-Order Software - as well as professional consulting services and support. VA Linux Systems' mission is to make its customers successful through the use of Linux and Open Source - whether they are e-businesses rapidly expanding their Internet infrastructures, or technology companies leveraging the power and methodology of Open Source software development. As part of its commitment to expanding the Open Source community, VA Linux Systems operates the Open Source Development Network (OSDN OSDN Open Source Development Network OSDN Open Source Developer Network ). A network of the leading Internet sites for Open Source development, distribution and discussion, OSDN includes SourceForge, Freshmeat.net, Slashdot and Linux.com. Founded in 1993 and headquartered in Fremont, California with offices across North America, Europe and Japan, VA Linux is located on the Web at www.valinux.com. Certain statements in this press release, including statements relating to VA Linux Systems' continued expansion in Europe and demand for Linux solutions in Europe, are forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause results to be materially different from expectations. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, operational and financial risks associated with the conduct of business overseas; changes in or interpretation of foreign laws or regulations; the evolving market for Linux-based Internet servers in Europe; competition with larger and more established companies; the company's ability to attract and retain qualified personnel; and other risks detailed in VA Linux's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, copies of which may be accessed through the SEC's web site at www.sec.gov. Note: VA Linux Systems and SourceForge are trademarks of VA Linux Systems, Inc. Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds. All other trademarks are property of their respective holders. |
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