He also stressed Linux's potential on the desktop. A changing view of what constitutes the desktop, with it encompassing possibly everything from laptops to phones, browsers and maybe even cars, also benefits Linux, he said. "What we sort of claim every year [is] that this will be the year of the Linux desktop. It's time to start asking yourselves: what is the desktop," Zemlin said. Linux, he said, is "redefining the client entirely," something proprietary competitors such as Windows cannot do.

Cloud computing also presents an opportunity for Linux, with the platform already holding a lead in this space, he said. Zemlin said Google could not really be Google if it ran on Windows instead of Linux. Zemlin also stressed the safety of Linux, saying that with a "quadrillion-dollar" transaction system such as the Chicago Mercantile Exchange using Linux, the platform has been proven to be safe.

Zemlin also cited Linux as more than an inexpensive. "While Linux is the most affordable platform out there, Linux is a lot more than that," he said, adding Linux is about changing assumptions. It also is about software development and sharing, he said.

Linux , though, needs standards, which is why there are efforts afoot such as the Linux Standard Base, Zemlin said. Standards, though, must be open and prevent a de facto lock-in situation, he added. There also are organizations and programs to help with Linux users facing patent issues, such as Linux Defenders, Zemlin said.