Now sponsoring…. :)

Damn, I was *dying* to make this announcement, and I finally got to do it today. Excuse me while I do a little victory dance round the totem pole, hollering like a demented red indian. :)

LINUX BANGALORE/2004 RECEIVES FULL SPONSORSHIP

We are happy to announce that Linux Bangalore/2004 has now secured full sponsorship for the event.

The following are the generous sponsors who are supporting the event:

PLATINUM SPONSOR: Hewlett Packard

There is no greater feeling of security than the one you get when you know that you can rely on someone blindly, and will never be let down.

For the fourth year in a row, HP has shown its support for the Free and Open Source community, by becoming the Platinum Sponsor of Linux Bangalore/2004.

Such consistency in support comes out of the fact that HP recognises, values and supports the Free & Open Source Software process of development, and HP actively shows this support by being involved in numerous Open Source projects as both a sponsor, as well as an active participant.

Here is what Subramanya S Mudigere, Director, HP (India Software Operations), has to say: “HP considers it a privilege to accept the role of being a Platinum Sponsor for LB/2004. Thanks for giving us the opportunity once again.”

HP – we thank *you* for your unwavering support for India’s most important Free & Open Source Software event!

GOLD SPONSOR: Infosys Technologies

For many people involved in Information Technology across the world, Infosys is probably the most prominent name to have risen out of the Indian subcontinent, becoming India’s visible global organisation. While Free & Open Source technologies thrive at Infosys, this has so far not been very visible to the outside world.

So you could have knocked us over with a feather when we hesitantly approached Infosys this year for sponsorship for Linux Bangalore/2004, and received the following reply from Raghuveer B K, Senior manager, Product Engineering Group at Infosys: “Infosys Technologies Ltd. is happy to support the Free and Open Source community by becoming the Gold sponsor for Linux Bangalore/2004″.

Having Infosys as a sponsor is matter of pride for us – not only because it is such a prominent name, but also because Infosys is an Indian organisation!

We thank Infosys for its support of the event.

SILVER SPONSOR: Encore Software

When one of India’s most important innovations, the Simputer, hit the radar of the world, it was a moment of pride for both the Indian nation as well as for the Free & Open Source community – because the Simputer ran on Linux.

Encore Software, the people behind the design and creation of the Simputer, have been supporters of the Free & Open Source development methodology, and when we approached them for sponsorship, this is what Mark Mathias, President of Encore Software, had to say: “Encore Software is happy to support the Open Source community by supporting Linux Bangalore/2004 as Silver Sponsor. This is Encore’s small way of saying thank you to the Free & Open Source world that has done so much to make the Encore Simputer possible.”

Thank you, Encore!

We had to wait to make these announcements about sponsorships (which have been in place for quite a while) for various strategic reasons. But now we have made them, and the effect has literally been like chucking a stone into an bee-hive – MAJOR BUZZ!!!

Have you registered yet? Can you afford missing it?

Heh – I didn’t think so.

Stay tuned for more announcements. :)