GOVERNMENT

Novell and PolyServe today announced the two companies have reached an agreement under which Novell will resell and support PolyServe Matrix Server clustering software worldwide. PolyServe Matrix Server is Novell's first offering as part of its recently announced data center initiative. "PolyServe's track record of enabling successful Linux deployments and UNIX-to-Linux migrations as well as their excellent virtual storage software technology in Matrix Server are decisive competitive advantages for Novell," said David Patrick, Novell's general manager of Linux, Open Source Platforms and Services. "We're delighted to be able to provide this advanced technology to our customers." Mike Stankey, CEO and chairman of PolyServe, said, "Novell's data center Linux initiative positions Novell as the unrivaled source for commercial-grade Linux in the enterprise data center. This is PolyServe's first key partnership of this magnitude with a major Linux supplier, and we're excited to play a key role with Novell in providing the single best Linux offering for corporate data centers." Leveraging the common code base of its SUSE(R) LINUX Enterprise Server, Novell is broadening its data center solutions to complete its portfolio of enterprise computing solutions which currently include workstation, workgroup and high-performance computing offerings. The data center is home to an enterprise's most vital applications and databases, and Novell's data center strategy centers on providing the crucial technology components to support moving mission-critical line-of-business applications such as enterprise resource planning (ERP), customer relationship management (CRM) and supply chain management (SCM) from UNIX to Linux. "With Novell SUSE LINUX and PolyServe Matrix Server, we have a platform for deploying our enterprise applications with improved reliability and scalability at a fraction of the cost of our previous UNIX systems," said Jonathan Cattle, technology and planning director for Close Premium Finance. "This partnership is exciting to us. It reinforces the commitment of these two companies in helping us meet the demanding cost and availability requirements of our data center." Under the terms of the agreement, Novell will offer PolyServe Matrix Server software and support to its customers worldwide as part of a comprehensive solution that encompasses the SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server and other products and services. Under the agreement, Novell customers using Matrix Server will be able to call Novell to resolve Linux and PolyServe support issues. The two companies will also cooperate on educating and training the Novell(R) direct sales team and business partners on PolyServe Matrix Server software. Customers already benefiting from joint Novell-PolyServe solution deployment include Westinghouse, Wells Fargo Bank, DuPont, U.S. Department of Defense, Burlington Coat Factory and Close Premium Finance. Novell and PolyServe will also work with major infrastructure vendors, such as Dell, HP, IBM, Oracle and SAP, to ensure interoperability and cross-vendor support for Linux and key virtual storage solutions in the data center. These efforts will be focused on providing customers with a reliable Linux platform for deploying mission-critical applications.