IBM Looks to Contribute to Firefox

By Blane Warrene | April 14, 2005 | Open Source

Reported through several outlets yesterday — IBM is looking to hire a developer for its advanced technology group who can contribute to the upstart web browser.

IBM is seeking to insure Firefox works with all of its applications across multiple platforms as well as shoring up its Workplace initiative. Workplace , which according to CNet IBM is spending $100 million on just to insure Linux computers can utilize it, is a project that brings IM, office suite and other applications to a central server through which users across various platforms access solely via web browser.

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Blane Warrene

Blane is a writer and researcher focusing on Apple and Open Source technologies. Prior to this, he helped found a commercial software and consulting venture, and worked in the financial services sector as a director of technology and in varying technical roles. Blane maintains Open Sourcery: SitePoint's Open Source Blog.

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{ 5 comments }

bwarrene April 15, 2005 at 11:27 am: I do think that is part of it Alex. But also at the higher enterprise levels – standards (for the “web” at least) can fall down the list of prioritities due to time constraints and other pressures. Though ‘do it right from the start’ is a valid argument to that – when an enterprise has a captive audience and controls hardware assets – they then can build for one end client app without concern over cross-browser or platform issues in many cases. IBM has done that and is likely looking to undo that in this case as well.
Anonymous April 15, 2005 at 8:38 am: [QUOTE]Look out IE!!![/QUOTE]
IE?? Whats that… :lol:
Congratulation to IBM for taking an interest, good things can only come out of this. Btw, I’m a die hard IBM fan ;)
Kadence April 15, 2005 at 3:09 am: Wow. IBM looks to be really targeting Microsoft with this. FireFox has become a pawn in this great game…
Though, a very willing pawn, certainly. Mozilla is no doubt extremely excited about this.
nzgfxguru April 15, 2005 at 2:02 am: Thats an incredible boost for firefox, to get that kind of intellectual and financial backing from a very large corporation is significant.
Look out IE!!!
AlexW April 14, 2005 at 10:44 pm: Seems slightly strange.
Firefox is, for the most part, supportive of established standards. Wouldn’t it make more sense to throw that resource at making Workplace to work on Firefox, rather than the other way around?