IBM Announces New SUSE LINUX-based Retail Solution for Point of Sale

IBM Announces New SUSE LINUX-based Retail Solution for Point of Sale

New Solution Gives Retailers the Cost and Flexibility Benefits of
Open-Source Linux and Reliability and Leadership of IBM POS

Raleigh, NC., January 8, 2004 -- IBM today announced a new Linux-based IBM
point-of-sale (POS) solution, based on SUSE LINUX, that will enable
retailers to reduce complexity and realize the lower costs and other
benefits of the open-source Linux operating system, along with the
reliability, expertise and industry leadership of IBM in retail POS. 

The new solution, IBM Retail Environment for SUSE LINUX, features a new
SUSE LINUX-based product for retail -- including a complete operating
system and management solution for point of sale (POS) systems. It combines
this optimized Linux platform for retailers with IBM SurePOS, IBM eServer
and IBM middleware to provide retailers with a scalable, secure operating
environment across the entire retail enterprise - all at a low total cost
of ownership. 

The new solution also delivers a standards-based, stable and secure
infrastructure and a centralized management system for the retail market -
bringing reliability and manageability across remotely deployed POS
systems. It will be available in the first half of 2004. 

"Point of sale is the moment of truth in retailing, so retailers want to
make sure they have the reliability and stability for which IBM is famous
in retail POS. At the same time, retailers clearly are seeing the benefits
of open-source Linux," said Tom Peterson, general manager, IBM Retail Store
Solutions. "This new IBM solution gives retailers the stability and
reliability of IBM POS, along with the benefits of Linux in lowering their
total cost of ownership and increasing flexibility. With IBM providing the
support around SUSE LINUX at the POS, retailers can focus on their core
business rather than having to take over management of their POS operating
systems." 

"The underlying SUSE LINUX technology fits perfectly with the technical
needs of this retail solution -- giving customers the stability, security
and cost effectiveness of Linux," said Juergen Geck, CTO, SUSE
LINUX. "During the design and the piloting stages of this product IBM and
SUSE cooperated closely, combining IBM's 30 years of experience as the
industry leader in retail technology with SUSE's more than 10 years of
Linux leadership." 

IBM Retail Environment for SUSE LINUX is a turn-key system designed
specifically for retailers. Combining IBM's retail expertise and Linux
commitment with SUSE's Linux leadership, the two companies will be working
together to meet and drive new requirements to benefit retailers. 

The new solution features simplified installation and configuration, via
four optimized Linux OS images for point-of-sale terminals, and an
infrastructure for centralized management and distribution of the
software. By being tailored for retail, the solution reduces the complexity
of the Linux operating system for retailers' in-store POS solutions. In
addition, the IBM offering provides a single point of contact for support
in terms of operating system, drivers, and hardware. 

Linux can scale across multiple hardware platforms across the retailer's
entire enterprise, allowing retailers to consolidate their skilled IT
resources and not have to devote resources toward defining, managing and
providing ongoing support and maintenance themselves for a distinct POS
operating system. Support and maintenance pricing, as well as the technical
capabilities of the solution, are designed to scale for the retailer's
environment, thus supporting the concept of "retail on demand." For
example, the solution can be tailored from a small console-based system to
a feature-rich Java and browser-capable system depending on the needs of
the retailer. 

The new solution also offers investment protection for retailers already
running IBM POS systems, as it can be deployed on selected existing IBM
terminals. It should be particularly attractive for retailers who are
currently using older DOS operating systems and need the ability to add new
applications and services that require a new operating system platform.  

About IBM 
IBM, the world's largest information technology company, provides the
retail industry with a full range of e-business solutions, including:
point-of-sale systems, other hardware and software technology, consulting
focused on business transformation, IT strategy and planning, store
operations improvement, and supply chain optimization, and with services,
such as outsourcing, managed operations, systems integration, and
application development and design. IBM has a list of retail customers in
100 countries worldwide that reads like a "Who's Who" of retailing. For
more information on IBM retail store solutions, please visit
www.ibm.com/industries/retail/store

About SUSE LINUX
Established in 1992, SUSE LINUX is one of the world's leading providers of
Linux software and services. With the largest dedicated Linux research and
development team, SUSE delivers enterprise-ready software and services that
harness the innovation, speed-to-market and independence of the open source
community. A privately-held company based in Nuremberg, Germany, SUSE --
together with global business partners -- supports customers throughout the
world. For further information on SUSE LINUX, please visit
www.suse.de/en/.

SUSE is a registered trademark of SUSE LINUX AG. Linux is a registered
trademark of Linus Torvalds. All other trademarks mentioned herein are the
property of their respective owners.

Media Contact:
SUSE LINUX
Martina Krahmer
Maxfeldstr. 5
90409 Nuremberg, Germany
Phone: +49-911-74053-507
Fax: +49-911-741 77 55
E-Mail:  martina.krahmer@suse.com