Paul Krill
Editor at Large

JBoss founder quits Red Hat

news
Feb 9, 20072 mins

Marc Fleury, the founder of open source Java application server maker JBoss, is leaving Red Hat, which acquired JBoss last year, according to a JBoss spokesperson.

Fleury is leaving to pursue other interests, such as teaching, research in biology, music and his family, said spokesperson Chantal Yang. He had been on paternity leave since December and his resignation is effective immediately, she said

JBoss was acquired by Red Hat for $350 million, with the deal announced in April 2006 and completed two months later. Fleury, who was CEO of JBoss, became vice president and general manager of the JBoss division of Red Hat but “things didn’t work out,” as he thought they would, Yang said.

Red Hat released this prepared statement from Fleury on Friday:

“I have done what I can to help Red Hat succeed. People need to understand that open source is a tsunami that is transforming the software industry in its wake and its inevitability is now well beyond challenge or the force of individual personality,” Fleury said.

Fleury’s departure will not mean a change in direction for the JBoss middleware line, Yang said. The company will continue to invest in middleware and add people and technologies when appropriate.

Red Hat’s CEO Matthew Szulik, in a statement released by the company, expressed gratitude to Fleury.

“Marc has made positive contributions to open source software. We are grateful to have had the opportunity to be the beneficiaries of his contributions, those of the JBoss community and those of our outstanding employees who joined Red Hat from JBoss,” Szulik said.

Red Hat’s acquisition of JBoss drew the headlines at the time. It had been speculated that Oracle would acquire JBoss but Red Hat became the successful suitor.

Paul Krill

Paul Krill is editor at large at InfoWorld. Paul has been covering computer technology as a news and feature reporter for more than 35 years, including 30 years at InfoWorld. He has specialized in coverage of software development tools and technologies since the 1990s, and he continues to lead InfoWorld’s news coverage of software development platforms including Java and .NET and programming languages including JavaScript, TypeScript, PHP, Python, Ruby, Rust, and Go. Long trusted as a reporter who prioritizes accuracy, integrity, and the best interests of readers, Paul is sought out by technology companies and industry organizations who want to reach InfoWorld’s audience of software developers and other information technology professionals. Paul has won a “Best Technology News Coverage” award from IDG.

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