Linux, now known as the versatile

and open operating system

powering everything from the world's fastest supercomputers,

to phones and self-driving cars,

was just emerging as the

hot new operating system for startups,

early e-businesses,

and edge servers.

But Linux had yet to make an impact

on the enterprise market.

Its open-source nature,

now the standard for the industry,

was still a novel concept.

The idea of freely sharing code

and collaborating over the Internet

was even deemed countercultural and risky.

But open innovation is at the core of IBM's DNA,

and it saw the operating system's

vast potential for enterprise.

Then, in 2000,

IBM became the first enterprise IT company

to go all in on Linux—

opening up its IBM Z mainframe

to the open Linux operating system.

This proved a pivotal moment in history,

kickstarting two decades of open innovation.

Bringing Linux to Z

made the unique capabilities of IBM Z—

the ability to securely manage billions of transactions—

portable across applications.

Simply put, this means the workloads could easily

be moved from one computer system to another,

allowing for much greater flexibility

in managing data and applications.

In 2015

IBM accelerated its momentum with LinuxONE.

The most powerful and secure enterprise server,

designed for the new application economy.

Which leads to today: the era of hybrid cloud.

Enabled by Red Hat OpenShift,

Red Hat Enterprise Linux

and IBM Cloud Paks,

IBM Z is built to lead in the hybrid cloud era.

Two-thirds of the Fortune 100 run on IBM Z systems.

And more than 90 percent of the top 100

IBM Z enterprises are running Linux on Z,

including banks, airlines and retailers.

But what makes IBM Z so ideal for this environment?

Today, clients are moving to the hybrid cloud.

With that comes a demand for secure,

agile,

and continuously available platforms

to keep data secure and manageable

across different architectures.

Running on Linux.

IBM z15 and LinuxONE

were designed for exactly this scenario.

The formula:

linking IBM Z's unique

transaction capabilities and security

with the power and flexibility

of Red Hat's open hybrid cloud portfolio.

And at the heart of it all is Linux.

The crucial foundation

to the success of the hybrid cloud.

20 years ago,

IBM helped boost Linux from the lofty idea

of a free and open-source operating system

to a broad collaborative platform for innovation.

And today,

IBM is positioned to help clients

accelerate their cloud journeys like never before.