Ximian and SuSE Linux Announce Partnership

*** Ximian and SuSE Partner To Lower the Cost of Linux 
Deployment, Management and Integration 

Companies Announce Broad Partnership to Extend Corporate Linux 
Adoption 

BOSTON, MA - March 3, 2003: Ximian, Inc., the leading provider of 
desktop and server solutions enabling enterprise Linux adoption, 
and SuSE Linux today announced a wide-ranging partnership 
enabling SuSE® corporate customers to lower the cost of Linux 
deployment, management and integration with software management, 
messaging and collaboration products. 

As part of the agreement, SuSE will resell Red Carpet[tm] 
Enterprise[tm] from Ximian® - enabling customers to centrally 
deploy and manage software on servers and desktops running SuSE 
Linux and SuSE Linux Enterprise Server. The companies will also 
offer Ximian Connector software to integrate the popular Ximian 
Evolution[tm] groupware suite for Linux with the SuSE Linux 
Openexchange server. In addition, the companies will pursue 
opportunities to collaborate on future Linux desktop offerings 
incorporating Ximian Desktop technology. 

With Red Carpet Enterprise, companies automatically control and 
update software standards on groups of systems running SuSE 
Linux, SuSE Linux Enterprise Server and SuSE Linux Office 
Desktop. Companies using SuSE Linux Openexchange Server can 
install Ximian's Connector software to deploy a complete Linux 
client and server collaboration solution at a fraction of the 
cost of alternatives such as Microsoft Exchange and Lotus Domino. 

"Red Carpet Enterprise helps our customers cost-effectively solve 
software management and maintenance challenges from the desktop 
to the data center," said Rafael Laguna, vice president, 
Marketing, SuSE Linux. "With Ximian Evolution and Ximian 
Connector our customers find the rich client experience they need 
to deploy an all-Linux collaboration solution centered on our 
SuSE Linux Openexchange Server." 

"We are extremely excited to partner with SuSE to serve mutual 
customers worldwide," said David Patrick, president and CEO of 
Ximian. "On both the desktop and server, Ximian has focused on 
the software management and interoperability challenges to 
enterprise Linux adoption. Our close relationship with SuSE will 
help to fuel the rapid pace of Linux market growth." 

*** Custom Software Management and Updating 

Red Carpet Enterprise is a powerful server-based solution 
deployed behind the corporate firewall that allows companies to 
closely manage and maintain the Linux software deployed on groups 
of Linux servers and desktops across their enterprises. Through 
an intuitive web-based console or a powerful command line 
interface, administrators can schedule installation and updates 
of a wide variety of Linux software from Ximian, SuSE, and other 
third-party vendors as well as internally developed applications. 

Red Carpet Enterprise also provides multi-platform support, 
updating systems running a broad range of Linux distributions in 
addition to SuSE. The web-based administration console also 
includes flexible reporting, detailing download and installation 
activities. 

Red Carpet Enterprise will enable companies to cut administration 
costs by simplifying the management and updating of systems 
running SuSE Linux operating systems. Through upcoming 
integration with SuSE's own YaST and Maintenance Web technologies 
for delivery of SuSE software updates, Red Carpet Enterprise will 
allow corporate customers to customize and control the software 
they deploy and manage on systems running SuSE Linux 8.1 and SuSE 
Linux Enterprise Server. 

*** Desktop Integration with SuSE Linux Openexchange 

Ximian Connector for SuSE Linux Openexchange Server will enable 
Linux and UNIX users of the Ximian Evolution groupware suite to 
manage personal information and collaborate with co-workers using 
Openexchange, including those on Windows PCs utilizing a web 
browser or Microsoft Outlook. 

Ximian Evolution uniquely integrates email, calendar, contact and 
task list management in one powerful, fast and easy-to-use 
application. Ximian Evolution also provides support for key data 
exchange and communications standards, such as IMAP, POP, SMTP, 
LDAP, iCalendar and more. 

The SuSE Linux Openexchange Server combines proven open source 
components with comprehensive software applications to offer 
impressive functionality, including reliable email reception, 
distribution, and dispatch, integrated web mail clients, smart 
central appointment and address management, and efficient project 
management and task planning tools to streamline enterprise 
operations. A centrally controlled document management tool and 
group-based discussion forums enhance the efficiency of project 
teams. 

The Ximian Connector for Openexchange enables IT managers and 
system administrators to provide Ximian Evolution clients of the 
SuSE Openexchange Server with centralized email storage, personal 
calendaring, group scheduling, shared address book access, as 
well as task management. Openexchange users with Ximian Connector 
installed can define and manage email folders, propose meetings 
with and view free/busy time of other users, and access personal 
contacts and global address lists. Openexchange users benefit 
from an elegant interface and the full functionality of Ximian 
Evolution, including QuickSearch, vFolders, threaded email view, 
in-line text editing and synchronization with Palm handhelds. 

"We're excited about the prospect of capitalizing on the 
functionality provided by Ximian Evolution and the collaboration 
functions of SuSE's Openexchange, and look forward to using the 
new Ximian Connector to transition our user base to Openexchange 
in the future," said Dave Richards, systems administrator for the 
City of Largo, Florida. "The combination of Ximian Evolution 
integrated with SuSE Linux Openexchange will provide us with a 
powerful, user friendly and extremely cost-effective messaging 
and collaboration environment." 

*** Availability 

SuSE will begin offering its customers Red Carpet Enterprise in 
the spring as part of its "SuSE Linux Enterprise Deployment and 
Administration Option" pack for SuSE Linux and SuSE Linux 
Enterprise Server. This summer, SuSE will ship Ximian Evolution 
and Ximian Connector with its SuSE Linux Openexchange server. 

*** About Ximian, Inc. 

Ximian is the leading provider of desktop and server solutions 
enabling enterprise Linux adoption. Ximian products, in use by 
over 1,000,000 people worldwide, provide the interoperability, 
management functionality and ease of use required to integrate 
Linux users and systems into mixed corporate computing 
environments. Ximian offers both a complete Linux desktop 
environment and productivity application suite and enterprise 
software management solutions to dramatically reduce the cost of 
deploying and maintaining Linux systems. Ximian founders are 
pioneers of the open source GNOME and Mono projects. The company 
has secured funding from leading venture firms Charles River 
Ventures and Battery Ventures. It can be reached at 
www.ximian.com. 

*** About SuSE Linux 

SuSE Linux is the international technology leader and solutions 
provider in Open Source operating system software. SuSE's unique 
expertise in Linux and its largest development team worldwide 
dedicated to Open Source software has contributed to the 
recognition of SuSE as the most complete Linux solution available 
today. SuSE Linux is a privately held company focused entirely on 
supporting the Linux community and Open Source development. 

Press Contact:

SuSE Linux AG  
Christian Egle 
Deutschherrnstr. 15-19
90429 Nürnberg      
Tel. 0911/7 40 53-44     
Fax 0911/7 41 7755  
E-Mail ce@suse.de