DreamWorks to run on Red Hat

Red Hat, meet Shrek.

Raleigh-based Red Hat, the Linux software company, announced Wednesday that DreamWorks Animation - the Hollywood studio behind the Shrek franchise and a host of other animated hits - plans to use Red Hat's cloud computing software to help produce animated films.

DreamWorks has been at the forefront of cloud computing and is "building one of the world's largest private clouds with Red Hat," Paul Cormier, president of products and technology at Red Hat, said during a conference call to discuss the company's cloud computing strategy and technology. Cloud computing allows access to networks of servers over the Internet. A private cloud is for a company's internal-use only.

"At DreamWorks Animation, cutting-edge technology is a key enabler to our creative ambitions," Ed Leonard, DreamWorks' chief technology officer, said in a prepared statement. "Red Hat's Cloud Foundations provides a compelling platform to enable our cloud strategy, giving us the ability to quickly scale our computer needs to meet the demands of our productions."

Cloud Foundations is what Red Hat calls its line-up of products for operating a private cloud.

Staff writer David Ranii