SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- (Marketwire) -- 04/23/12 -- The Linux Foundation, the nonprofit organization dedicated to accelerating the growth of Linux, today announced that five new companies from Japan are joining the organization: Ashisuto, Aisin AW, JVC KENWOOD Corporation, NTT DATA MSE, and Turbo Systems.

Japan has long been a leader in Linux development and deployments. Technology leaders NEC, Fujitsu and Hitachi are among The Linux Foundation's founding members, and the Japanese government in 2007 prioritized Linux and open source software for all software procurement. Today Japanese companies are again taking a leadership role as Linux becomes the dominant platform for software development in next-generation cars, mobile devices and more.

The Linux Foundation's newest members will collaborate to advance Linux in these areas at LinuxCon Japan, taking place this year from June 6-8 (https://events.linuxfoundation.org/events/linuxcon-japan). This event aims to support collaboration between Japan and other Asia Pacific countries and the rest of the global Linux community. Later this year, companies will also participate in the Automotive Linux Summit September 19-20, 2012: https://events.linuxfoundation.org/events/automotive-linux-summit

More details on today's new Linux Foundation members include:

Ashisuto (http://www.ashisuto.co.jp/english/) is an independent distributor of software packages. The company has a 40-year history of delivering software, support and training services to large companies in three primary categories: information management, information usage and system control. It also provides support for open source software that includes OpenOffice.org, PostresSQL and Ubuntu.

"By joining the Linux Foundation, we wish to contribute to expand the Linux market by sharing our expertise acquired through support services for Ubuntu as well as other software packages run on Linux," said Masanao Kamiya, department manager for Open Source Software Division of Ashisuto.

Aisin AW (http://www.aisin-aw.co.jp/en/index.html) in 1992 pioneered the field of car navigation systems, developing the world's first voice navigation system. Today, the company leads the world production of these systems and also provides products and services in the areas of automatic transmission, CVT, hybrid systems and EV drive systems.

"The Linux Foundation is bringing together the most important stakeholders in the areas of car and in-vehicle-infotainment software development," said Satoshi Ninomoiya, Aisin AW. "It is critical that we be a part of that community and we're looking forward to participating."

JVC KENWOOD Corporation (http://www.jvckenwood.co.jp/en/) develops and manufacturers products and services for the car electronics, professional systems, home and mobile electronics, and entertainment businesses. It is joining The Linux Foundation to take advantage of collaboration opportunities in these areas where Linux is becoming a dominant platform.

"At JVC KENWOOD Corporation, we address a variety of global markets. Linux plays a pivotal role in all of them, from car electronics to mobile devices to entertainment services," said YOSHIO SONODA, senior manager of Strategic R&D Division, JVC KENWOOD Corporation. "The Linux Foundation is the one neutral forum where we can advance our work with Linux in all of these areas."

NTT DATA MSE (http://nttd-mse.com/en/index.htm) delivers systems development solutions and project management services with a focus on the embedded market and cloud services.

"Our Linux Foundation membership will help us meet the technology demands of the future of embedded software and automobiles through collaborative development," said SHIGERU FUJITA, General Manager of Solution Planning Department, NTT DATA MSE. "We're excited about the results of this approach to software development and business."

Turbo Systems (http://www.turbosystems.co.jp/) is an operating systems development vendor and is an established authority in Android development, Linux porting, and driver development. It has a long history in desktop, server and embedded Linux development, including Android porting, Board Support Packages (BSPs), streaming media servers and applications. Turbo Systems will be participating specifically in The Linux Foundation's Consumer Electronics Workgroup (https://www.linuxfoundation.org/collaborate/workgroups/celf) and the Long Term Support Initiative (https://www.linuxfoundation.org/collaborate/workgroups/consumer-electronics/ltsi-overview).

"The Linux Foundation is a natural host for work that advances Linux in the most cutting-edge environments, such as consumer electronics, Android, embedded systems and long term support for the Linux kernel," said Go Taniguchi, President and CEO, Turbo Systems. "We're looking forward to the results of this lucrative relationship."

"Japanese companies and developers are among the brightest in the world, and are important contributors to the advancement of Linux," said Amanda McPherson, vice president of marketing and developer services at The Linux Foundation. "The Linux Foundation's newest members from Japan will accelerate Linux development efforts across industries ranging from automotive to mobile and embedded development to communications technologies."

About The Linux Foundation
The Linux Foundation is a nonprofit consortium dedicated to fostering the growth of Linux. Founded in 2000, the organization sponsors the work of Linux creator Linus Torvalds and promotes, protects and advances the Linux operating system by marshaling the resources of its members and the open source development community. The Linux Foundation provides a neutral forum for collaboration and education by hosting Linux conferences, including LinuxCon, and generating original Linux research, Linux videos, and content that advances the understanding of the Linux platform. Its web properties, including Linux.com, reach approximately two million people per month. The organization also provides extensive Linux training opportunities that feature the Linux kernel community's leading experts as instructors. Follow The Linux Foundation on Twitter.

Trademarks: The Linux Foundation, Linux Standard Base, MeeGo, Tizen and Yocto Project are trademarks of The Linux Foundation. Linux is a trademark of Linus Torvalds.

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