Red Hat to Hold Virtual JBoss Trade Show

As PC World is reporting, Red Hat is planning to host a Second Life-like online conference focused on its JBoss Java-based middleware products. It's no surprise to see Red Hat serving up this kind of free, online event, especially since the company has confirmed that its JBoss business is growing twice as fast its Linux business, delivering $10 in consulting fees for every $1 in subscription revenue. Here's how to register for the event, and what to expect.

The JBoss Virtual Experience will take place on February 11th and registration is free. The online event will include keynote sessions, including a keynote from Red Hat CEO Jim Whitehurst, a session conducted by JBoss customers, a session on how JBoss can cut costs in enterprises, and a panel of developers.

"Attendees will have avatars that allow them to walk around a virtual exhibit floor and into rooms where there are presentations and discussion panels," reports PC World. Attendees will also get to ask questions of Red Hat executives and customers via an instant-messaging style interface.

These kinds of virtual trade shows are on the rise, and I've attended a couple of them. They tend to offer unique opportunities to talk to executives and get questions answered, so this is probably a good move for Red Hat, and could be a good move for lots of open source projects. Especially in these economic times, webinars and online events can make sense for host companies and attendees alike.

One thing to keep in mind with these shows, though, is that they are registration-based. That means that any personal information you enter during registration becomes fair game for Red Hat's sales staff to pursue. If you supply your primary e-mail address and other personal information, don't be surprised to hear from them after the show...or, err, virtual show.