Munich Set to Approve Linux

It's good to see that Munich is going to move forward with its Linux migration plan.  This will be a very public, very watched migration that will give Linux a chance to prove itself in a large government deployment.  One thing I didn't like about the article is the "upstart rival Linux" comment.  The statement seems incorrect on a couple different levels.  First, can Linux really still be considered an "upstart"?  With IBM running superbowl commercials, I'd say not.  Secondly, "Linux" isn't a company so calling it a rival to Microsoft seems odd.  Novell is a rival, Red Hat is a rival, IBM is a rival.  Linux is a kernel.
--jeremy