Mar 25, 2004 : HP, IBM Expand Linux Partnerships

📅 March 25, 2004 - Hewlett-Packard (hp.com) signed an expanded agreement with Novell on Wednesday that will see Novell's (novell.com) recently-acquired SuSE Linux operating system supported on both HP Compaq server and desktop systems. Under the agreement, Novell SuSE Linux will become the standard Linux distribution for HP's line of desktops and notebook computers. The agreement expands an existing deal certifying Novell SuSE Linux on HP Proliant and HP Integrity servers in North America. HP said it would extend this arrangement to other countries at a later date.

"Novell is working hard to reduce barriers to enterprise adoption of Linux, delivering the security, scalability and reliability for which Novell is historically known, to Linux environments - including the desktop," said Chris Stone, vice chairman for the office of the CEO at Novell. "HP's decision to standardize on SuSE Linux reflects growing industry support for Novell's open platform strategy."
HP said the announcement extends its multi-operating system strategy across server and PC lines, an approach its says gives customers the choice and flexibility to run alternative applications.
"HP is now the first major technology vendor to offer enterprise customers a single, proven Linux solution from desktop to data center," said Martin Fink, vice president of Linux at HP. "HP was first to market with Linux-based servers, first to provide a Linux indemnity program for qualified customers, first to reach 2.5 billion in revenue - and the first major technology vendor to certify and support a single, complete, open standards Linux environment."
Wednesday's announcement comes as Novell and IBM (ibm.com) deepen their relationship. On Tuesday, IBM signed a definitive agreement to invest $50 million in Novell, a deal previously announced in November of 2003. The two companies also signed commercial agreements extending previous deals for Linux development and promotional activities.
IBM also expanded its relationship with Novell's rival Red Hat (redhat.com), announcing on Tuesday that it had concluded a deal allowing it to distribute Red Hat Linux on its Power servers.
Both HP and IBM are offering indemnity against possible litigation by SCO (sco.com). Utah-based SCO is involved with several lawsuits against users of Linux, alleging that Unix code found in the Linux kernel violates its intellectual property rights. SCO filed a lawsuit against Novell in January.
Analysts agree that Novell, after acquiring SuSE Linux and Ximian, has successfully positioned itself as a major competitor to Red Hat, the industry's leading Linux vendor.