Novell announces Next-Generation Linux Desktop

Novell's Next-Generation Linux Desktop Redefines Desktop Market

 

SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop now the benchmark for basic office
productivity and usability

 

HANNOVER, Germany (CeBIT 2006) - March 9, 2006 - At CeBIT 2006 in
Hannover, Germany, Novell today unveiled its next-generation enterprise
Linux* desktop, delivering technology and design improvements that
establish the Linux desktop as a benchmark for basic office productivity
and usability. The new Linux desktop, SUSE(r) Linux Enterprise Desktop,
is a comprehensive, full-function desktop containing technology
innovations and usability breakthroughs including enhanced power
management, integrated desktop search, high-performance graphical
interfaces and numerous application improvements based on open source
innovation. As a result, SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop sets a new
standard for business desktops, delivering the market-leading usability,
powerful integrated office functionality and rock-solid stability needed
to drive productivity at a fraction of the cost of current Microsoft*
desktop offerings.

 

"Although the momentum behind Linux continues to be strong, until today,
general business users have not really been a part of the story," said
Gary Barnett, research director at Ovum. "With today's introduction of
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop, Novell is keeping a promise it made last
year, to invest in delivering a desktop that is designed for the
business user, rather than for experienced Linux users. Novell deserves
credit for addressing the issue of usability head-on, by delivering a
desktop that really can meet the needs of the basic knowledge worker."

 

Novell conducted hundreds of distinct usability tests and shot almost
1,500 hours of user interaction video that it used to aid the design of
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop. Each feature of SUSE Linux Enterprise
Desktop, such as setting desktop preferences, finding files, launching
applications, using external devices like USB memory sticks, working
with the Internet, and connecting to local and wireless networks, was
rigorously tested and refined for usability to ensure the best possible
performance in a business environment.

 

"With Novell Linux Desktop 9, Novell delivered an outstanding solution
for transactional and fixed-function desktops," said Jeff Jaffe,
executive vice president and chief technology officer for Novell. "With
its successor, SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop, we are now positioned to
serve the sweet spot of the market, the general office worker. This
desktop is already generating great interest in businesses of all sizes,
and it represents a tremendous new opportunity for Novell."

 

Powerful Desktop Capabilities

SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop is the first fully supported enterprise
desktop to deliver OpenOffice.org 2.0, the leading open source office
suite. OpenOffice includes a powerful spreadsheet program, business
presentations tool and word processor. The Novell(r) edition of
OpenOffice.org will support many Visual Basic macros, closing one of the
chief compatibility gaps between OpenOffice.org and Microsoft Office.
OpenOffice.org 2.0 can save and open documents created in Microsoft
Office formats including Excel pivot tables, and it is the only office
suite available today that fully supports the OpenDocument file format,
the new public standard for document files. Because OpenDocument is a
public standard maintained by the open source community, it eliminates
vendor lock-in by ensuring information saved in spreadsheets, documents
and presentations is freely accessible to any OpenDocument-supporting
application.

 

To simplify migration to Linux, SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop is
designed to work with Microsoft Windows*, Microsoft Office and Microsoft
Exchange. SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop supports all standard network
and printing protocols and integrates seamlessly in existing Active
Directory environments. OpenOffice.org 2.0 reads and writes Microsoft
document formats, and the Novell EvolutionTM e-mail client includes an
integrated connector for Microsoft Exchange. Lotus Notes* and Domino*
users will be able to access Notes applications, databases and e-mail
using IBM's planned Lotus Notes Application plug-in for the IBM*
Workplace Client Technology. Novell GroupWise(r), of course, is
completely supported on SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop.

 

With file and content searching completely integrated into the user
experience, SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop frees business users from the
perils of navigating the file system, allowing immediate access to
documents, graphics, e-mail messages, chat sessions, Web pages and other
content by typing just a keyword. In Novell's usability tests,
respondents overwhelmingly preferred the SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop
search capabilities to Windows.

 

Nat Friedman, vice president of Linux desktop engineering for Novell,
said, "Every IT administrator in the world should be eager to evaluate
the improvements and functionality in this Linux desktop, and the cost
savings that come with it. When we started work on SUSE Linux Enterprise
Desktop, we didn't want to build the best Linux desktop for business, we
wanted to build the best desktop for business, period. By listening to
users, we believe we have created a business desktop that leapfrogs the
market."

 

Complete Customer Solution

SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop is designed to be easy for businesses to
deploy and maintain. During the term of their subscription, users
receive full access to the Novell Customer Center, an online portal that
provides instant, automated access to new software releases, patches and
technical updates. For large deployments, SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop
is fully integrated with Novell ZENworks(r) Linux Management.

 

SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop features fast boot technology, improved
power management and suspend, enhanced wireless device integration,
Bluetooth* support and better application security with Novell AppArmor.
Unlike Windows, which requires additional software purchases to create a
desktop with equivalent features, SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop is
complete, delivering a secure operating system, office suite, Web
browser, instant messenger client, file management, integrated desktop
search and automated software management tools in one solution.

 

The comprehensive nature of SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop eliminates
many IT costs typically associated with the deployment of Windows
desktops. Based on MSRP, a subscription for SUSE Linux Enterprise
Desktop will be less than 10 percent of the combined cost of Microsoft
Windows and Microsoft Office.

 

SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop is scheduled to be available in the summer
of 2006. For more information, visit
http://www.novell.com/products/desktop/preview.html
<http://www.novell.com/products/desktop/preview.html> .

 

About Novell

Novell, Inc. (Nasdaq: NOVL) delivers Software for the Open EnterpriseTM.
With more than 50,000 customers in 43 countries, Novell helps customers
manage, simplify, secure and integrate their technology environments by
leveraging best-of-breed, open standards-based software. With over 20
years of experience, more than 5,000 employees, 5,000 partners and
support centers around the world, Novell helps customers gain control
over their IT operating environment while reducing cost. More
information about Novell can be found at http://www.novell.com
<http://www.novell.com/> .

 
****************
Shawna Seth
The Horn Group
www.horngroup.com <http://www.horngroup.com/> 
415-905-4010
 
Novell, Inc.
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