The OSDL Fellowship Fund

 OSDL Announces New Fellowship Fund to Support Linux Kernel and Open Source
Software Development Work

BEAVERTON, Ore., March 29, 2006 - The Open Source Development Labs (OSDL), a
global consortium dedicated to accelerating the adoption of Linux® and open
source software, today announced the establishment of the OSDL Fellowship
Fund. The Fund will provide financial support to software developers working
on Linux and open source community projects that don't otherwise have access
to financial resources or support.

"OSDL works with users, vendors and developers to identify where additional
work or resources could accelerate development efforts and spur the adoption
of Linux and open source software," said Stuart Cohen, CEO of OSDL. "OSDL's
new Technology Advisory Board identified the need for a fund that could be
used to fill specific gaps in open source development. OSDL's neutrality puts
it in a natural position to fill this need and support efforts across the
community." 

The OSDL board of directors, with input from the Technical Advisory Board
(TAB), will evaluate applications for fellowship funding and determine
allocation priorities and levels of financial commitment. The Fellowship Fund
is the newest fund under OSDL administration. In 2005, OSDL established the
IP Support Fund to help provide legal services to Linux and open source
software developers. The Linux Legal Defense Fund (LLDF) was initially
established in 2003 to help defend Linus Torvalds during the SCO lawsuit.
Today, it supports parties threatened with litigation involving IP issues. 

"Sometimes critical open source projects, especially those not directly
affiliated with a major technology vendor, can lose focus because their
developers have other commitments," said James Bottomley, chair of the OSDL
TAB and OSDL board member. "The OSDL Fellowship Fund will make resources
available for moving these projects forward and gives us an invaluable tool
to concentrate on areas deemed important by the Linux community." 

OSDL is soliciting pledges and securing financial support for the Fund. For
more information on how to donate to the Fellowship Fund or to apply for
fellowship funding, please visit
http://www.osdl.org/lab_activities/fellowship_fund/.

About Open Source Development Labs (OSDL) 
OSDL   sponsor of Linus Torvalds, the creator of the Linux kernel - is
dedicated to accelerating the growth and adoption of Linux-based operating
systems in the enterprise. Founded in 2000 and supported by a global
consortium of major Linux customers and IT industry leaders, OSDL is a
nonprofit organization that provides state-of-the-art computing and test
facilities available to developers around the world. With offices in China,
Europe, Japan and the United States, OSDL sponsors legal and development
projects to advance open source software as well as initiatives for Linux
systems in telecommunications, in the data center and on enterprise desktops.
Visit OSDL on the Web at http://www.osdl.org/.

OSDL is a trademark of Open Source Development Labs, Inc. Linux is a
trademark of Linus Torvalds. Third party marks and brands are the property of
their respective holders.
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