A pioneer in the open source software development movement, Red Hat Inc. -- creator of Red Hat Linux, a computer operating system -- has announced it will support the open source model for more than just computers.

The new Red Hat Center for Open Source (RHCOS) -- a nonprofit funded by $8 million in cash and stock donations from the company and its officers -- will support the use of open source principles in a wide range of scientific and educational projects.

The North Carolina-based company has been one of the most successful members of the open source movement, becoming a primary influence on the Linux computer operating system -- widely seen as an alternative to Microsoft Windows.

(Linux, like several successful computer applications making the news recently, was developed through the open source software development model, in which proprietary knowledge and secrecy is replaced by wide intellectual collaboration and the free sharing of knowledge.)

"The implications of this model when applied outside of software development are enormous, and the benefits to society will be huge," says Marc Ewing, chief technology officer for Red Hat. "Advancing this global cooperative model for the development of technologies and ideas is what RHCOS is all about."

The nonprofit's board of directors will consist of Ewing and Bob Young, Red Hat's chairman and CEO, and other business, law, technology and Internet leaders. Details about the application process for grants are being determined by the board.

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