Novell Fuels Linux Growth in the Data Center

BARCELONA, Spain, (BrainShare(R) 2005), Sept. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Novell (Nasdaq: NOVL) today announced the rapid growth of business-critical applications running on Linux* in the data center, as data center software vendors Agresso, Carmen Systems, Jeeves Information Systems and Sage join Oracle, SAP and Siebel in supporting Novell's SUSE(TM) Linux Enterprise Server. In addition, Novell is launching the beta version of the most rigorous training and examination program for Linux certifications to meet data center requirements. As a result, customers can run the critical applications they need on a cost-effective and proven Linux infrastructure in their data centers, with the full backing and global ecosystem of Novell.

"CIOs are under increasing pressure to align their IT infrastructure with changing business requirements while positioning themselves for growth," said Hans Sparkes, head of Enterprise Linux, Unisys EMEA. "Our expertise, unique tools and enterprise-class services optimize organizations' IT infrastructure and maximize performance through consolidation, migration and simplification. Our partnership with Novell provides customers with greater choice and flexibility at a significantly lower cost than with proprietary solutions."

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. By combining Novell's market-proven enterprise expertise with strategic partner offerings and open source solutions, Novell is meeting those requirements at a lower cost and with greater choice and flexibility.

David Patrick, Novell vice president and general manager of Linux, Open Source Platforms and Services, said, "Significant reductions in costs and gains in performance can be made with Linux at the heart of the enterprise. The support of these vendors for SUSE Linux Enterprise Server is compelling evidence that customer demand is growing for more sophisticated, business-critical workloads running on Linux." Linux Training and Certifications

Novell is offering testing at BrainShare for the latest Novell Certified Linux Professional along with a beta version of its practicum test for the Certified Linux Engineer 9. The Novell CLP focuses on core administration issues for SUSE Linux, while the Novell CLE9 is designed for IT professionals with complex networking, distributed environment and security needs. Exams for both certifications involve rigorous, hands-on troubleshooting, giving customers confidence that Novell certification holders are qualified to keep SUSE Linux environments running smoothly.

More information on how Novell is meeting data center and other enterprise computing needs can be found at http://www.novell.com . About Novell

Novell, Inc. delivers software for the open enterprise. 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, Novell's 6,000 employees, 5,000 partners and support centers around the world help customers gain control over their IT operating environment while reducing cost. More information about Novell can be found at http://www.novell.com . NOTE: Novell is a registered trademark, BrainShare is a registered service mark, and SUSE is a trademark of Novell, Inc. in the United States and other countries. *Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds. UNIX is a registered trademark of The Open Group. All other third-party trademarks are the property of their respective owners.