SAN FRANCISCO----Lenovo and Novell today announced an agreement to provide preloaded
Linux* on Lenovo ThinkPad notebook PCs and to provide support from
Lenovo for the operating system. The companies will offer SUSE®
Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 from Novell® to
commercial customers on Lenovo notebooks including those in the popular
ThinkPad T Series, a class of notebooks aimed at typical business users,
beginning in the fourth quarter of 2007. The ThinkPad notebooks with the
Linux-preload will also be available for purchase by individual
customers.
Committed Partnership
For the first time, Lenovo will provide direct support for both the
hardware and operating system. Novell will provide maintenance updates
for the operating system directly to ThinkPad notebook customers.
The two companies have a history of joint research and development
spanning more than five years. For several years Lenovo has
Linux-certified its ThinkPad notebook PC line and provided customers
with the necessary tools to optimize the Linux experience on a ThinkPad
notebook. Lenovo continues to the offer Help Center support for SUSE
Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 that started with the ThinkPad T60p mobile
workstation notebook.
"We have seen more customers utilizing and requesting open source
notebook solutions in education, government and the enterprise since our
ThinkPad T60p Linux announcement, and today's announcement expands upon
our efforts by offering customers more Linux options,”
said Sam Dusi, vice president, product marketing, Notebook Business
Unit, Lenovo. “Known for hardware and software
based innovations like our roll cage and ThinkVantage Technologies, we
continue our tradition of building the industry’s
best engineered PCs and delivering excellent customer solutions, such as
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 from Novell.”
Roger Levy, Novell vice president and general manager of Open Platform
Solutions, said, “We are extremely pleased to
partner with Lenovo in delivering this pioneering Linux preload to the
enterprise client computing market. Pairing Lenovo's quality and
innovation with the stability, flexibility and security advantages of
the SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 operating system gives enterprise
customers the fully certified and supported Linux-based solution they
have been seeking.”
ThinkPad Notebooks and SUSE Linux Enterprise –
Leading Business Technology
Notebooks in the ThinkPad T Series feature the latest technologies along
with Lenovo’s newest innovations, such as a
Top Cover Roll Cage for extreme durability, ultra-fast wireless
connectivity with Ultra Connect II and maximum battery life along with
the Battery Stretch tool. Customers also benefit from the business
applications delivered in SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10, including
the OpenOffice.org productivity suite, an email client and web browser.
ThinkPad notebook PCs running Linux will be on display at Novell’s
booth at the LinuxWorld Conference & Expo from August 6-9.
About Lenovo
Lenovo HKSE: 992 ADR: LNVGY is dedicated to building the world’s
best engineered personal computers. Lenovo’s
business model is built on innovation, operational efficiency and
customer satisfaction as well as a focus on investment in emerging
markets. Formed by Lenovo Group’s acquisition
of the former IBM Personal Computing Division, the company develops,
manufactures and markets reliable, high-quality, secure and easy-to-use
technology products and services worldwide. Lenovo has major research
centers in Yamato, Japan; Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, China; and
Raleigh, North Carolina. For more information see www.lenovo.com.
About Novell
Novell, Inc. Nasdaq: NOVL delivers infrastructure software for the
Open Enterprise. Novell is a leader in enterprise-wide operating systems
based on Linux and open source and provides the enterprise management
services required to operate mixed IT environments. Novell helps
customers minimize cost, complexity and risk, allowing them to focus on
innovation and growth. For more information, visit www.novell.com.
Novell and SUSE are registered trademarks of Novell, Inc. in the United
States and other countries. *Linux is a registered trademark of Linus
Torvalds. All other third-party trademarks are the property of their
respective owners.
