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HP CEO Leo Apotheker is preparing an HP cloud computing strategy and considering software acquisitions. Red Hat is an ideal target, according to The VAR Guy. Here's why.

We knew Ubuntu was “Linux for human beings.” Aiming to catch the current cloud computing wave, Canonical has now also officially deemed Ubuntu as “the cloud OS.” But what exactly does the claim mean to cloud services providers (CSPs) and potential Ubuntu channel partners? Here's the update.

I'm scratching my head in confusion. When I launched my news site in January 2008, open source was all the rage. And quite a few open source companies were building channel partner programs at the time. Fast forward to the present and it seems like some open source channel partner programs have gone silent — especially as cloud computing continues to generate so much freaking hype. But don’t lose hope. Here’s why.

At first glance, OpenStack is an open source platform for service providers and Eucalyptus is an open source platform for private clouds. But if you listen closely to vendors in the market, some folks think OpenStack and Eucalyptus will wind up competing for the hearts and minds of cloud integrators and service providers. Here's why.

I was unhappy — appalled, even — when I read in Fall 2010 that Ubuntu 11.04 would be ditching GNOME in favor of the Unity desktop environment. But after testing the development version of the next Ubuntu release, I have to admit I’m growing less skeptical of Unity’s prospects. Why? Read on.

Until now, Digium hasn’t said much about its cloud computing strategy for Asterisk -- the wildly popular open source IP PBX. But cloud computing is set to dominate conversations at this week’s Digium Asterisk World conference. Here's why.

SugarCRM CEO Larry Augustin says sales at the open source company grew more than 50 percent in 2010. And a lot of that growth involved partners deploying SugarCRM in the cloud. Here are the deeper details.

IBM on Jan. 24 launched a Virtual Desktop for Smart Business push -- which allows Windows or Linux desktops to be hosted and managed centrally. I'm intrigued. But the Big Blue effort sounds suspiciously like a previous initiative called the IBM Client for Smart Work package, launched in 2009 with Virtual Bridges and Canonical's Ubuntu. So how does IBM's latest virtual desktop push differ from earlier efforts? Here's the update.

Asterisk, the open source IP PBX, has gained serious momentum as an on-premise IP telephony solution. But as hosted PBXs gain popularity, I’m starting to wonder if Asterisk-based cloud services will gain critical mass with customers. Here's the update.

OpenERP, as you may guess from the name, sells a suite of business applications built on open source code, ensuring low-cost apps for the customer and flexible deployment for the administrator. But OpenERP has always been limited by its status as an on-premises product. Not anymore. Here comes the SaaS and cloud version.

AsteriskExchange, an online marketplace for the open source IP PBX, has attracted more than 50 partner offerings since Digium launched the exchange in January 2010. Here's the update.

If cloud computing is just hype, no one has told Ubuntu server developer Dustin Kirkland, who has fascinating visions for the ways in which upcoming releases of Ubuntu might fit into the cloud. Here are the details.

No doubt, Microsoft Windows Small Business Server (SBS) has a loyal channel and a massive SMB installed base. But Zentyal, a Spain-based software company with International aspirations, is promoting an SBS alternative to VARs and managed services providers. The twist: Zentyal marries an on-premise Linux small business server with cloud computing. Here's how.

Eucalyptus Systems, which provides a platform to turn legacy hardware into Amazon EC2-compatible private clouds, claims 20 percent of Fortune 100 companies use Eucalyptus Enterprise Edition cloud. Here are details.

In the open-source world, attracting new users to your product is hard enough. The ultimate challenge, however, is enticing third-party developers to build on top of your platform. Recognizing this fact, the team behind Ubuntu is preparing a “Developer Manual” to encourage contributions. Here’s the update.

Red Hat continues to push beyond its Linux heritage. With an eye toward The Next Big Thing, Red Hat is promoting Cloud Foundations — a portfolio of software and educational tools — to help partners profit from public and private clouds. Red Hat VP and GM Scott Crenshaw explains the Cloud Foundations strategy here.

Computer hardware vendor ZaReason recently announced the addition of Trisquel, a Linux distribution comprised only of completely free code, as a pre-installed software option on its products. Here’s the scoop, along with some notes from the company’s CEO on the motivations behind the change.

Canonical Chairman Mark Shuttleworth has high hopes for Ubuntu Enterprise Clud (UEC) and Canonical's cloud relationship with Dell. Shuttleworth also weighs in on the OpenStack effort. Here's the story.

Let’s assume Attachmate finalizes the Novell acquisition on March 9, 2011. According to an SEC filing, certain Novell executives could earn $1.38 million to $6.85 million in lump sum cash payments if their positions are terminated on that date. So which Novell executives are staying and which ones may leave with a hefty bounty?

It’s one thing to talk in vague terms about “the cloud,” and another to write software that actually works with it. Thanks to Ubuntu’s cloud-init package, coding for the cloud can be simple, practical and even straightforward. Here’s a look at the technology in action, and where it fits into the larger cloud-computing ecosystem. Take a look.