Channel Register

Founder Augustin to abandon VA

Thanks for the name changes

By Ashlee Vance in London • Get more from this author

Posted in Software & Security, 11th October 2006 16:28 GMT

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VA Research/Linux Systems Software founder and general open source blowhard advocate Larry Augustin plans to sever his ties with the company come December.

In a regulatory filing, VA revealed that Augustin will not seek reelection as Chairman later this year. The company provided no details to explain Augustin's decision but said it did not result from a disagreement with the rest of the board.

Many of you likely forgot that VA still existed. The company, however, gained plenty of attention back in the good old days as a Linux software and services pioneer. VA's easy to remember ticker symbol – LNUX – proved attractive to investors hoping to ride the Linux bandwagon for all it was worth. The company's shares opened at $30 and then jumped to $320 before dropping back to the still insane $239 by day's end.

As it happened, VA actually brought in healthy revenue selling hardware pre-installed with Linux and then servicing the gear.

Today, VA's Open Source Technology Group oversees geek hangouts such as Slasdhot and SourceForge. ®

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