OSDL Restructures at The Expense of Employees


The Open Source Development Labs (OSDL), an organization that has proclaimed
itself the center of gravity for Linux, is laying off employees, losing its
CEO Stuart Cohen and re-aligning its resources.


OSDL CEO Stuart Cohen is leaving the OSDL to pursue other open source software
opportunities and will be replaced by CFO Mike Temple.


“OSDL has made some difficult decisions to align its resources to address
specific projects and programs that focus on the things that create the
greatest value for its members,” said Temple in a
e-mailed statement to internetnews.com “Linux has received
unprecedented market validation and continues to see unprecedented growth.
As the market matures, OSDL will continue to refine its focus to meet the
evolving needs of our members.”


The OSDL currently has some 70 members that pay as much as $1 million
dollars a year in membership fees. It is also the employer of Linus
Torvalds, the creator of Linux. According to an OSDL FAQ, the OSDL
currently employs 19 people in the U.S. and Asia. A total of nine employees
are being laid off.


According to the OSDL, since Linux has now become more mainstream, the OSDL’s
original mission of Linux adoption acceleration needs to change. The group
will now have fewer projects than before, with some ceasing altogether
and some being transferred to OSDL members.


The OSDL also expects to be outsourcing project work as well as IT and
infrastructure functions.


The OSDL will now shift its efforts more toward being a catalyst on certain
efforts, including the OSDL-sponsored Portland Project, which aims to provide
better interoperability between the GNOME and KDE Linux desktops.

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