Tom Hanrahan: Director of Linux Interoperability

by Sam Ramji on June 08, 2007 05:34pm

Most of Port 25’s readers are aware of my commitment to interoperability between Microsoft and Linux, as exemplified in the OSSL’s work on IPsec and now the three-sided virtualization, identity, and systems management work with Novell.

I’m proud to announce a leader at Microsoft who has the sole purpose of bringing Windows and Linux technologies together: Tom Hanrahan.

Tom will join as the Director of Linux Interoperability, and will head our Linux/Windows interoperability work, including leadership of the Microsoft/Novell Interoperability Lab.  This development lab will undertake much of the engineering work involved in the multi-year technical partnership.  Among other things, Tom has much to teach us on “developing in the open” – how to work in a transparent way with a broad engineering community.
Tom brings 30 years of engineering, management and community development experience to this effort – and the larger Microsoft community. Prior to joining Microsoft, Tom was the Director of Engineering at the Linux Foundation where he was responsible for managing a variety of technical initiatives.  Earlier in his career, Tom led IBM’s Linux Technology Center in Portland, and spent 11 years at Sequent Computer Systems in the early days of SMP (symmetric multiprocessing).

It is excellent to have Tom on board, and he is already making an impact.  His outstanding history of Linux engineering will greatly contribute to our focus on interoperability. You can also expect to see some of Tom’s work (and thoughts) show up on Port 25.

Please join me in welcoming Tom Hanrahan.