The Linux Foundation, the nonprofit organization dedicated to accelerating the growth of Linux, has announced that five Europe-based companies are joining the organization: AboveIT, Comarch, CSR, Symbio and Tieto.

These companies are joining The Linux Foundation to collaborate on advancing Linux in the enterprise and in mobile computing. They join seven other new members from Europe announced earlier this month (http://www.linuxfoundation.org/news-media/announcements/2011/10/linux-foundation-announces-new-members-throughout-europe) and are coming together to collaborate this week at the first-ever LinuxCon Europe taking place in Prague, Czech Republic: http://events.linuxfoundation.org/events/linuxcon-europe.

Today's new Linux Foundation members include:

Above IT (http://www.aboveit.nl/) is a Dutch ICT integrator that implements the newest open source technology while optimizing business processes for the Small and Medium Business (SMB), enterprise, government, education and embedded systems markets.

"Linux is the foundation for all of our open source software development and business in general. The choice for open source technology is driven by the market demand for innovation, agility, and continuity of services in sectors like SMB, education, industry and government institutions. Above IT recognizes the innovative power of technologies like open virtualization and open standards as enablers of business agility. By joining The Linux Foundation, we will be able to push our technology to the edge with more direct collaboration with a worldwide community of developers, vendors and IT users," said Dimitri van der Spek, CEO, AboveIT.

Comarch (http://comarch.com) has been an active player in the mobile and embedded software domains since 2001. Through a variety of projects in the area of mobile software development, integration, quality assurance, interoperability and cross-platform consulting services, Comarch has proven its deep technical knowledge, know-how and market understanding. With more than 3,500 employees, Comarch can offer flexibility and scalability in building business partnerships and expertise alliances.

"Linux-based solutions have always been an important part of Comarch's offering since the company was created in 1993. We want to share our experience in virtually all Linux flavors, including desktops, servers, clusters, mobile/embedded and automotive platforms," said Dariusz Filipski, R&D Director, Open Source, Mobile Solutions & Services, Comarch. "Membership in The Linux Foundation will bring us closer to our business partners as well as open source communities to streamline our efforts for providing what's best in open technologies."

CSR (http://csr.com) is a leading global provider of personal wireless technology, including Bluetooth, GPS, FM and Wi-Fi to industry leaders in consumer electronics, mobile handsets and the automotive industry. Its technology has been adopted by market leaders in a wide range of mobile consumer devices. With close to 3,000 employees and a longstanding Bluetooth market leadership position, CSR brings a wealth of knowledge to the Linux community.

"Linux is at the heart of networking and wireless technologies," said Ahmet Alpdemir, SVP Mobile, CSR. "Our Linux Foundation membership will inform our Linux and open source strategies and allow us to collaborate on advancing Linux in this area."

Symbio (http://symbio.com) is a global software R&D company providing software product engineering to industry leaders in mobile phones, consumer electronics, automotive In-Vehicle-Infotainment (IVI), industrial systems, and internet and cloud services. The backbone of Symbio's expertise for consumer devices is a deep understanding of Linux architecture and system performance. Symbio utilizes a Design Centric Development (DCD) approach paired with agile programming methods to help its clients meet the ever-increasing demand for more consumer-friendly, user-experience driven device software. Symbio's main locations are in China, Finland, Sweden and the USA.

"Linux plays a central role in the work we do for our clients developing consumer devices, automotive IVI or industrial systems. Let's face it, most of the projects we carry out are pretty demanding, and Linux provides the flexibility, accessibility and technical feasibility for us to meet those high demands," said Konsta Hansson, VP & General Manager, Symbio. "We're looking forward to fruitful collaboration with the Linux community and contributing to the promotion, protection and advancement of the Linux operating system."

Tieto (http://www.tieto.com/) is based in Northern Europe and provides IT and product engineering services. With about 18,000 experts on staff, the company focuses on offering specialized IT solutions and services complemented by a strong technology platform.

"The Linux community is global and diverse, representing interests of companies and individuals from around the world. We're proud to be a part of this community. The Linux Foundation membership allows us to formalize our commitment to this community. As a result, our customers, such as network equipment providers, mobile device manufacturers, automotive sector and smart products engineering businesses, can even better capture the benefits of this platform," said Ville Aittomäki, Head of Devices R&D, Tieto.

"Europe is a hotbed for Linux and open source development and business, which is why we created LinuxCon Europe and why we're so excited to welcome more members from this region," said Amanda McPherson, vice president of marketing and developer programs at The Linux Foundation. "We're looking forward to the collaboration opportunities with AboveIT, Comarch, CSR, Symbio and Tieto this week and in year ahead."

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 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.