Fujitsu Siemens puts SuSE into servers
Fujitsu Siemens said on Wednesday it would bundle SuSE Linux Enterprise Server 8 with its entire line of Primergy servers, which ranges from single-processor systems and blades up to 16-way machines, a move that will give SuSE more exposure to European businesses.
The companies said the deal was in response to increasing demand across Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) for a solution combining Fujitsu Siemens' hardware and SuSE's operating system. SuSE is one of the biggest Linux vendors, after Red Hat, and Fujitsu Siemens is the biggest European computer maker, selling everything from home PCs and storage systems to high-end Unix hardware.
SuSE and other Linux vendors have pushed Linux increasingly into the corporate mainstream, with help from large computer companies such as IBM and HP. Linux is compatible with many aspects of Unix but is much cheaper, because its intellectual property is not owned by any one company. It is distributed under an open-source licence which allows anyone to modify and redistribute the source code, as long as modifications are returned to the developer community.
Fujitsu Siemens said it was aiming to make complete SuSE Linux systems more easily available to customers. "The package we've put together with SuSE is especially attractive to our sales partners. They can now offer their customers complete solutions based on Primergy servers and SuSE Linux Enterprise Server with relatively little overhead," said Fujitsu Siemens executive vice president Bernd Bischoff in a statement.
He said that demand was expected to be particularly strong for blade servers, which combine a large number of interchangeable servers in a single compact chassis, as well as TX series towers and RX series racks. The company will work with SuSE to calculate software maintenance charges based on server capacity. Primergy servers include from one to 16 Intel Xeon processors.
Enterprise Server is the version of SuSE's software customised for corporations, being more thoroughly tested and less frequently upgraded than other versions. It is validated for enterprise applications such as mySAP.com and Oracle databases, and forms the basis for the UnitedLinux operating system, which is sold under various brand names by Conectiva, SCO and Turbolinux.
Late last month SuSE introduced a "carrier-grade" add-on to Enterprise Server for telecommunications companies. At the same time the company named several new executives and hired J. Walter Thompson, the world's fourth largest advertising agency, to develop a global branding campaign.
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