The article: https://www.linuxjournal.com/content/ibm-began-buying-red-hat-20-years-ago suggests in the title that IBM Began Buying Red Hat 20 years ago. While that is actually just a title intended to attract attention, I can tell you that IBM was one of the first major companies to embrace both Linux and other forms of Open Source and other types of software that for years have stood side by side with their own proprietary brands of hardware and software.
IBM is not afraid to carry several different lines of competing products and services and has done this for several decades - most of my career, in fact. HP has not been too far behind IBM in their support. I went to a few conferences in the early 2000s concerning UNIX, and then Linux products and services. Both companies had a solid presence and even had several employees who served on committees, and in many cases, chaired committees - using company resources and the company name, so this really isn't new, but as of now it's about as mainstream as either companies collections of traditional name brand products.
IBM is not afraid to carry several different lines of competing products and services and has done this for several decades - most of my career, in fact. HP has not been too far behind IBM in their support. I went to a few conferences in the early 2000s concerning UNIX, and then Linux products and services. Both companies had a solid presence and even had several employees who served on committees, and in many cases, chaired committees - using company resources and the company name, so this really isn't new, but as of now it's about as mainstream as either companies collections of traditional name brand products.
