Novell and IBM Team to Accelerate Application Development on Linux

Novell and IBM Team to Accelerate Application Development on Linux 
Worldwide Effort to Provide Developers with Technology Resources to Expand
Certification Process and Rapid Adoption of  SUSE LINUX Based Applications

Waltham, Mass and SOMERS, New York - March 16, 2005 - Novell and IBM today
announced an initiative to help ISVs accelerate the development and
certification of new applications for Novell's SUSE LINUX on IBM eServer and
middleware platforms.  ISVs can now access the technical resources, hands-on
tools and expertise available at nine IBM Innovation Centers in North
America, Europe and Asia to certify their applications for SUSE LINUX on IBM
hardware and software.  As a result, ISVs can port new applications to SUSE
LINUX more quickly and cost effectively, creating new technology
infrastructure choices for customers running Linux-based applications. 

Linux is the fastest growing operating system in the server space, rapidly
gaining acceptance among mainstream business users, software vendors and the
OEM community. 

"Over the past few years, Linux has transformed from a niche operating
system to a mainstream solution that customers are increasingly deploying in
their existing IT environments," said Wood Lotz, CEO, Absoft Corporation.
"SUSE LINUX ISV certification program is an important milestone in the
long-term success of open source solutions and represents an opportunity for
us and our customers to utilize the very best hardware, software, and
support from IBM and Novell in an expedient way to take advantage of the
growing Linux market. Gaining access to the technical resources and
knowledge of experts at IBM Innovation Centers to test mission-critical
applications on Linux further gives solution providers the confidence they
need to deploy Linux strategically in complex customer environments," said
Lotz. 

As part of this initiative, Novell will provide ISVs copies of SUSE LINUX
Enterprise Server with supporting documentation. The company will also
facilitate onsite registration for Novell's Technology Partner Program to
help ISVs certify their applications on SUSE LINUX on IBM hardware and
middleware.  At the IBM Innovation Centers, IBM will offer ISVs consulting
support and technical expertise to help them migrate, develop and implement
their applications for SUSE LINUX on IBM platforms. 

The technical services and support are available to ISVs at the IBM
Innovation Centers in San Mateo, CA, Waltham, MA., Chicago, IL., Hursley,
United Kingdom, Paris, France, Stuttgart, Germany, Bangalore, India,
Shanghai, China, and Sydney, Australia.  IBM's network of Innovation Centers
worldwide provide developers and business partners with easy access to
technical skills, resources, and business expertise to help them more easily
build, deploy and optimize customized solutions based on IBM's open
middleware and hardware technology. As a result, business partners can go to
market faster, while reducing development costs.   

"This initiative marks another important step in building out a global
ecosystem around SUSE LINUX," said Hal Bennett, vice president of global
alliances, Novell. "Applications vendors from Silicon Valley to Stuttgart to
Sydney will now have local resources to help them test and certify their
application on SUSE LINUX on IBM platforms, enabling them to provide more
value for their customers in this rapidly growing market." 

"The momentum behind Linux is growing daily," said IBM's Buell Duncan,
general manager of ISV and Developer Relations.  "To date, more than 6,000
Linux-based applications have been developed on IBM, 2,000 of which come
from ISVs. IBM has a goal to double that number in the next two years.  This
initiative will help ISVs test and certify their applications at IBM
Innovation Centers for SUSE LINUX on IBM platforms, expanding customer
choice to deploy Linux-based applications in their existing environments." 

More information can be found at : http://www.novell.com/partners/ibm/iic/
and at ibm.com/partnerworld/iic 

About Novell 
Novell, Inc. (Nasdaq: NOVL) is a leading provider of information solutions
that deliver secure identity management (Novell Nsure(r)), Web application
development (Novell exteNd(tm)) and cross-platform networking services
(Novell Nterprise(tm)), all supported by strategic consulting and
professional services (Novell NgageSM). Active in the open source community
with its Ximian(r) and SUSE LINUX brands, Novell provides a full range of
Linux products and services for the enterprise, from the desktop to the
server. Novell's vision of one Net - a world without information boundaries
- helps customers realize the value of their information securely and
economically. For more information, call Novell's Customer Response Center
at (888) 321-4CRC (4272) or visit http://www.novell.com. Press should visit
http://www.novell.com/pressroom. 

About IBM 
IBM is the world's largest information technology company, with 80 years of
leadership in helping businesses innovate. Drawing on resources from across
IBM and key Business Partners, IBM offers a wide range of services,
solutions and technologies that enable customers, large and small, to take
full advantage of the new era of e-business. For more information, visit
www.ibm.com/linux. 

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