Who Will be Big in 2008?

Every year, Linux Magazine starts the new year off with a look at the top 20 companies that we think will be particularly influential in the world of open source software. Our editorial crew has some strong opinions in this area, but we’re also looking to Linux Magazine readers to sound off and tell us what companies will lead the way in 2008.

If you need a refresher on last year’s list, hop over to the 20 Companies to Watch in 2007 piece. Our predictions were, more often than not, right on the money. Zimbra and XenSource were so influential that Yahoo! and Citrix, respectively, bought them in 2007. Canonical continued driving the Ubuntu juggernaut onto the desktops of millions of Linux users, and cracked the big time by putting Ubuntu on Dell systems.

But enough about the past, let’s focus on the future and the company that will be the most influential in 2008. Take our survey before October 30, 2007 and nominate the company you think will be the most influential in 2008, and be sure to tell us why. (Feel free to discuss the nominations in our comments section as well!)

We’ll take the results of the reader survey, mix with our own observations and the opinions of some of the thought leaders in the Linux and open source industry, and serve up a helping of leading companies in our January issue.