Mandriva and NEC Computers to deliver solutions for Education and Public markets

Mandriva and NEC Computers to deliver joint solutions for the Education and Public markets 2005-09-29



Mandriva, the number one European Linux publisher, and NEC Computers, one of Europe's leading hardware manufacturers, announce an agreement to develop joint solutions allowing customers to benefit from NEC's innovative products and Mandriva's easy-to-use operating systems. Mandriva and NEC will work together on hardware certifications as well as on building a program addressing the needs of the corporate, education and public markets.



Mandriva brings:
- The easiest to use Linux system on servers, laptops and desktops.
- Substantial experience in the corporate, public and education markets.
- Excellent contact with the open source community.


NEC provides:
- Innovation and quality through its range of servers, laptops and desktops.
- A leadership position in the public sector and education market.
- Flexible industrial know-how in providing fully configured IT solutions.


Certifications:
The two companies will ensure the optimum integration of Mandriva software with NEC's recent hardware configurations. They will work together to certify notebooks, desktops and servers. "Thanks to this partnership, Mandriva's customers will have access to a larger range of certified hardware for their infrastructure. Certification is key for broadened customer adoption, as it brings further assurance on the quality of products," said François Bancilhon, Mandriva CEO. "This marks our first partnership with NEC, and we are thrilled to be teaming up with such a leading manufacturer."



Meeting the needs of the corporate (including SMEs), education and public sectors
NEC wants to offer the Linux option to its customers, thus enabling them to benefit from this robust and affordable system. "Our customers are used to benefitting from turn-key tailor-made solutions with us. We are therefore broadening our portfolio of available operating systems. Mandriva Linux is a reference product in today's open source market and we are confident in the competitiveness of our combined solutions," explains Jean-Claude Tagger, EMEA & LA Senior Vice President at NEC Computers.

Mandriva and NEC will address the private and public markets by building specific OS solutions. Additionally, on a case by case basis, NEC and Mandriva will work closely together to create a unique program for the Education/Student segment. The two companies will further co-operate by sharing information on the Linux market's development.



About Mandriva



Mandriva, formerly known as Mandrakesoft, is the publisher of the popular Mandriva Linux operating system, one of the most full-featured and easy to use Linux systems. The company offers its enterprise, government educational customers a complete range of GNU/Linux and Open Source software and related services. Mandriva products are available in more than 120 countries through dedicated channels and also from Mandrivastore.com, the company's online store. Number 1 in several countries, Mandriva has won many awards for quality and technical innovation. "Born on the Internet" in late 1998, Mandriva has offices in the United States, France and Brazil. Mandriva is traded on Paris Euronext Marché Libre (ISIN Code: FR0004159382/MLMAN; Reuters code: MAKE.PA) and the US OTC market (stock symbol MDKFF). http://www.mandriva.com Press enquiries : Kadjo N'Doua / Gaël Duval +33 1 40 41 67 67 / press at mandriva dot com



About NEC Computers



NEC Computers, a division of NEC Corporation, is present on the commercial market with the NEC brand.



NEC Computers conceives, manufactures, markets and supports PCs, mobile solutions, servers and storage and tailored solutions for enterprise businesses and administrations. NEC's technological site provides design, manufacturing, marketing, support and systems integration.



NEC Computers aims to provide optimal solutions to its customers in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Africa and Latin America.