Perhaps chief among Microsoft's competition in the computer operating system (O.S.) market, is the open source Linux O.S., of which the market leader is the Red Hat Inc. version. The president and C.E.O. of Red Hat, Jim Whitehurst, coming to Israel this week.

The company which represents Red Hat in Israel, Matrix I.T. Ltd, is bringing him for its annual conference.

Whitehurst is considered one of the top men in his field, and his decisions and perspective will impact a significant segment of the personal, home, and business computer industries.

Last week, Red Hat paid $107 million for the Israeli startup Qumranet.