BOSTON, MA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 04/03/06 -- LINUX WORLD -- Building upon its market share leadership for Linux-based servers worldwide, IBM today announced the company is working with Novell to introduce a first-of-its-kind Linux solution for small and medium businesses (SMBs) based on Linux and other Open Source technologies.

Addressing customer demand to lower costs, improve flexibility and performance, and simplify integration, today's announcement provides new integrated software and services running Linux on multiple platforms which will be available worldwide, including in emerging countries.

Linux is the fastest growing operating system in the world in terms of unit share. IBM now ranks number one in overall Linux-based server revenue worldwide with 27.9 percent of the revenue in 4Q05 and 28.3 percent of the revenue in 2005; up 19 percent YTY [1]

"Open Source beyond Linux is proving itself to be a tremendously successful business model," said Scott Handy, vice president, Linux and Open Source, IBM. "With today's news, SMBs can now look forward to reducing the total cost of IT ownership, running not only Linux, but additional Open Source software on multiple IBM servers and blades pre-integrated by the channel."

IBM and Novell Introduce Open Middleware Offering Running on Linux for SMBs

With today's news, IBM, Novell, Intel and Avnet are partnering to introduce new open middleware solutions running on Linux for SMBs. The solution includes WebSphere Application Server Community Edition, (WAS CE), based on the open source Apache Geronimo web application server, DB2 Express-C and IBM eServer xSeries, Blades or Storage. The solutions, called Integrated Stack for Linux, are available this month. They are designed to make it easier for SMB customers and the partners serving them, to integrate Linux servers into Windows environments.

They include two integrated hardware and software solutions for SMB customers with options to include IBM Total Storage:

Integrated Stack for Linux is comprised of SUSE Linux Enterprise Server from Novell and IBM servers and includes WAS CE and DB2 Express-C. It is initially available to customers through Avnet's partner channel and provides a fully integrated platform of web and database middleware, the Linux operating system, and IBM eServer xSeries or BladeCenter systems with internal or external IBM storage. As an option, Avnet will include Centeris Likewise for Active Directory integration and management, allowing Linux servers to be administered in a Windows server environment by a Windows system administrator using a familiar Windows systems administration console.

Integrated File and Print for Linux is offered by Avnet to its resellers with Linux and Centeris Likewise for File and Print workloads. With the solution they can easily integrate Novell's SUSE Linux Enterprise Server into a Windows environment including Active Directory integration on IBM eServer xSeries or BladeCenter systems with internal or external storage.

"As SMB customers seek to deploy infrastructure solutions while lowering their overall costs, the combination of SUSE Linux Enterprise Server and Intel-based IBM eServer xSeries servers provides a secure, stable and open platform to deploy these new and cost-effective Integrated Stack for Linux solutions," said Hal Bennett, Novell vice president of Global Partners and Programs.

To complement the Integrated Stack for Linux, the following solution will be available for partners and customers:

Integrated Stack for Linux Discovery DVD -- Available at no charge, this fully functioning offering, licensed for production use by customers, includes WAS CE and DB2 Express-C. It also includes a demo-only version of VMWare player hosting Novell's SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 9, capable of executing the entire Integrated Stack for Linux solution. Partners have expressed a strong desire to offer customers a no charge demo and proof-of-concept capabilities for this no-license fee middleware. This solution also allows partners to directly install the solution with WAS CE and DB2 Express-C without a license fee and then optionally sell it as a service -- a solution that can be made available by the partner or from IBM. No-license-fee versions of WAS CE and DB2 Express C can also be installed on Windows servers to enhance integration into a Windows environment.

For the developer and academic communities, IBM is offering an Integrated Stack for Linux on IBM Systems.

IBM Open Computing Development Environment is a solution made available worldwide for developers and academics in emerging countries. It includes WAS CE, DB2 Express-C and Eclipse. These versions can be installed for development and/or deployment on either Linux or Windows.

IBM Upgrades WebSphere Application Server Community Edition

Continuing to enhance its open source application server, IBM today is offering a new version of its WebSphere Application Server Community Edition, WAS CE. The latest version provides a broader framework and tighter integration with Apache Tomcat applications, and helps users create, debug, and deploy applications through enhanced Eclipse support. This improves reliability of applications through Web-tier clustering and load balancing, WAS CE also provides additional Linux support for Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 4 and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 9.

IBM and Zend Team to Deliver PHP Solutions to SMB Customers

As part of today's news, IBM and Zend Technologies, Inc. announced Web scripting language, PHP, is being ported to IBM's "all-in-one," System i business computing solution. This will provide clients with an open source, easy-to-use scripting language for Web development that integrates directly with existing business applications.

"With its easy-to-use development approach, PHP is a natural fit for System i and i5/OS customers and developers, offering improved productivity and innovation in their business and rapid, cost-effective deployment of Web applications," said Doron Gerstel, CEO of Zend. "PHP for System i will make available thousands of existing PHP-based applications and open up a pool of millions of skilled Web developers to System i clients. At the same time, these PHP developers will be introduced to the leading capabilities of System i including integration, reliability, support for open standards and low cost of ownership for application deployments."

IBM and Zend plan to deliver Zend Core and Zend Platform for production environments on the IBM System i flagship operating system, i5/OS, as well as Zend Studio and Zend Guard development tools to develop PHP applications for System i. Customers can download an Early Access version of Zend Core for i5/OS.*

"Support for PHP on i5/OS will provide Tripp Lite with additional flexibility and freedom of choice in Web development, while using our current investments in applications, data and skills," said Mike Pavlak, director of Information Services for Tripp Lite, a manufacturer of power protection equipment. "In addition, IBM is reinforcing its commitment to the System i and open source by bringing a new, open language to the machine."

Lotus Expands Business Partner Ecosystem for Workplace software for Linux

IBM continues to build on its 100 million dollar investment in Workplace software for Linux, which includes the 'Migration to the Penguin' initiative. Today, IBM continues to grow the Business Partner ecosystem through support of a series of new Business Partner technologies based on IBM Workplace technology and available to run on Linux to help customers realize the cost efficiencies of open source technologies.

The new tools include the Relavis eSales2ProjExec, a knowledge-sharing tool for sales leads and sales opportunities management, and Extenda's Retail Enterprise POS solution, an offering for food retail chains providing customers with an enterprise class in-store solution to maximize business flexibility. Additional new tools include PAVONE's StructureBuilder, a Workplace Managed Client-based offering that helps organizations create network or tree structures such as project plans, organizational charts or document structures. Diamond Edge's VB Converter, Java Edition, will provide tools to migrate Visual Basic applications to Java to work with IBM Workplace Managed Client and Websphere Everyplace Deployment.

IBM and Red Hat Earn Higher Linux Security Certification

IBM and Red Hat today also announced that Red Hat Enterprise Linux v. 4 has successfully completed a Common Criteria (CC) evaluation achieving a new level of security certification that will further enable Linux to be adopted by governments and government agencies for mission-critical operations.

Red Hat's Enterprise Linux running on multiple IBM eServer platforms has achieved Controlled Access Protection Profile under The Common Criteria for Information Security Evaluation, evaluation assurance level (EAL) 4+ -- also referred to as CAPP/EAL4+. The Common Criteria is recognized internationally by IT professionals as the ISO standard (ISO/IEC 15408) used by the United States government and other organizations to assess security and assurance of technology products.

IBM Offers The Widest Breadth of Services for Linux

IBM today also announced plans to expand the availability of three services solutions to market outside of the United States and Canada. The solutions are provided by IBM Global Services and are supported by more than 7,000 skilled Linux consultants available worldwide to help clients design, build, and implement Linux solutions.

The expanded three global services solutions include:

IBM Implementation Services for Enterprise Linux High Performance Computing Clusters

Linux High Performing Computing (HPC) clusters can help organizations boost the productivity, reliability and performance of Linux-based systems by reducing management costs and server downtime. IBM Global Services provides implementation services for Enterprise Linux to install and configure Linux HPC cluster software for Open Power or Intel-based eServer xSeries clusters and provide any needed Linux training to clients. The service includes customized installation, configuration and testing of the Linux HPC Cluster software on client servers to help make applications run faster.

IBM Implementation Service for Enterprise Linux Distributions

IBM Global Services delivers an affordable pre-packaged service for the installation and configuration of Novell SUSE Enterprise Linux or Red Hat Enterprise Linux operating system distributions on a client's IBM System p, System z, and eServer xSeries systems. The IBM Implementation Service for Enterprise Linux Distributions helps clients more quickly deploy business applications on Linux systems. This standards-based service enables customers to lower hardware, software, subscription, installation, and administrative support costs for various business functions. This service will be available worldwide including in emerging countries such as Brazil, Russia, India and China.

IBM Implementation Services for Enterprise Linux Server Consolidation

IBM Global Services provides implementation services for Enterprise Linux server consolidation to plan, design, install and configure the consolidation of the servers onto Linux platforms in virtualized IT environments. Virtualization simplifies computing and lowers costs by consolidating multiple workloads from a data center to a single machine, providing a logical look at all the data housed in disparate systems. Clients can lower total cost of IT ownership by virtualizing and integrating data in open and heterogeneous IT environments.

All services solutions are custom priced based on client requirements and are available immediately for Red Hat and Novell SUSE Enterprise Linux on all IBM Systems and on most non-IBM servers.

IBM Global Services offers the industry's most comprehensive portfolio of Linux consultative and support offerings, from planning and design, to implementation and technical support.

About IBM:

IBM is the world's largest information technology company, with 80 years of leadership in helping businesses innovate. Drawing on resources from across IBM and key business partners, IBM offers a wide range of services, solutions and technologies that enable companies to take full advantage of the on demand era. For more information about IBM, visit http://www.ibm.com

[1] Based on Gartner's Worldwide Server Quarterly Statistics for 04Q05, issued on February 21, 2006.

Download an Early Access version of Zend Core for i5/OS at
http://www-03.ibm.com/systems/i/software/php/

Contact:
John Charlson
IBM
914-766-4628
charlson@us.ibm.com