The distributor of the Ubuntu version of Linux has revealed that Yahoo will become the default search engine provider for the OS as part of a revenue sharing deal.
Ubuntu is an operating system based upon the Linux architecture. Yesterday, Rick Spencer of Canonical, the company which distributes the open source software to hardware vendors, announced the deal with Yahoo. In an email delivered to the Ubuntu-desktop mailing list, Spencer said: “Canonical has negotiated a revenue sharing deal with Yahoo! and this revenue will help Canonical to provide developers and resources to continue the open development of Ubuntu and the Ubuntu Platform”
Although many will be unfamiliar with Ubuntu, this deal has the potential to gain Yahoo! a significant increase in their audience share for search engine marketing. 1% of all computers run a version of Linux software and the Ubuntu distribution has consistently performed as the most popular variation.
Last January, the New York Times reported that Ubuntu had over ten million users and in June 2009 ZDnet claimed there were “13 million active Ubuntu users with use growing faster than any other distribution”. It was named the “best all-around Linux distribution available today” by PC World in 2008. Several hardware vendors offer computers with Ubuntu pre-installed, such as Dell and the South African company Bravium Computers.
Ubuntu, like other Linux systems, has proven popular for its robustness and focus on usability. As open source software it is free to download and has a high level of community technical support and development for its core applications. These factors have made it a preferred choice for users in nations where functionality is more valuable than entertainment features, such as its home nation of South Africa. The software’s ethos and name was inspired by the Ubuntu ethical system of South Africa: “humanity towards others”.
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