The segment offers operating systems, network services and workgroup computing software solutions based on the Linux open source operating system.

FORBES: Magazine Article

While there are industries where it makes sense to allow duopolies or even monopolies to obtain economies of scale and network effects computer operating systems and electric utilities might be two examples the tradeoff usually is that they must accept closer government regulation to prevent price-gouging and other abuses.

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Companies are now vying to design the basic electronic architecture and operating systems that future network vehicles will use.

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It is easy to predict autocar ecosystem wars preventing the level of standardization necessary to accomplish network efficiencies across make-and-model operating systems.

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Red Hat hopes its support of multiple open source applications running on Linux will make the platform more attractive to corporate network managers looking for cheaper alternatives to commercial server operating systems.

CNN: Red Hat to support "all things open source"

Employees also can download thousands of programs on their own, which can be a security nightmare for a corporate network and cause compatibility issues when the company wants to update operating systems and apps.

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Open source software such as Apache Web server and the Linux server operating system have become popular systems to run not only on network servers, but also on server appliances (servers dedicated to single tasks such as e-mail and Web site hosting).

CNN: Red Hat to support "all things open source"

If network effects did in fact assure monopoly power, the Microsoft monopoly in the operating-systems market would not have been illegal.

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All four of the new systems include full hardware redundancy, redundant storage and network connections and allow for live operating system upgrades, Sun said.

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