Linux Red Hat, Oracle to Certify Linux for Government - "Red Hat and Oracle plan to announce on Thursday that the companies have teamed to get Linux evaluated under the Common Criteria, a certification that could open doors for the broader use of open-source software by government agencies. The effort is expected to take nine to 10 months and cost up to $1 million. But if successful, it could pay off handsomely for Red Hat and Oracle, as well as for Linux. "The government has been deploying Linux in smaller settings quite broadly, but it's still done by exception, by and large," said Mark De Visser, vice president of marketing for Red Hat. "What happens with these certifications is that they will push Linux into the mainstream."