San Jose, Calif. ? In an apparent blow to Microsoft Corp., eight heavyweights in the consumer electronics industry have banded together to promote the Linux operating system.

In recent years, Linux has become a low-cost alternative to proprietary operating systems such as Microsoft Windows. Already, the free, open-source software program is widely used in network servers and desktops.

Sony, Sharp, Toshiba, Matsushita, Hitachi, NEC, Royal Philips Electronics and Samsung could avoid paying licensing fees and cut development costs by using Linux.

They also stand to benefit from a software platform that is admittedly more powerful than ones they internally develop, said Thomas Swidler, executive director of the new alliance, called the CE Linux Forum.

Sony used Linux in its Cocoon personal video recorder in Japan, and Sharp has Linux-based handheld computers.