Novell and IBM are working together to address the need to grow the application environment around Linux by giving their ISVs the tools and resources to easily deploy Linux-based applications.
The two firms have come together to form a worldwide initiative designed to accelerate the development and certification of ISV applications for SuSE Linux on the IBM eServer and middleware platforms.
This certification program, to be announced on Wednesday, will provide ISVs access to technical resources, expertise and hands-on tools at nine IBM Innovation Centers across North America, Europe and Asia, creating new infrastructure choices for ISVs and their customers running mission-critical applications on Linux.
As part of this initiative, Novell Inc. will provide those ISVs interested in the program with copies of SuSE Linux Enterprise Server and supporting documentation.
The company will also facilitate onsite registration for Novells Technology Partner Program to help ISVs certify their applications on SuSE Linux for both IBM hardware and middleware.
For its part, IBM will offer the ISVs access to its Innovation Centers as well as some free consulting support and technical expertise to help them migrate, develop and implement their applications for SuSE Linux on IBM platforms.
Todd Chase, the program director for IBMs Innovation Centers in Waltham, Mass., told eWEEK.com in an interview that the move marks IBM and Novells efforts to drive the growing adoption of Linux by arming ISVs with tools and resources for easy and cost-effective deployment Linux-based applications.
With this initiative, ISVs can obtain free consulting, migration and testing support at nine of the largest IBM Innovation Centers in San Mateo, Calif.; Waltham, Mass.; Chicago; Hursley, United Kingdom; Paris, France; Stuttgart, Germany; Bangalore, India; Shanghai, China; and Sydney, Australia.
This deal follows a similar one announced with Red Hat Inc. late last year.
But while the SuSE deal focuses on ISVs across the world, the Red Hat deal is currently limited to European ISVs, but Chase expects that to be expanded to the United States and Asia in the future.
The latest deal with SuSE follows other recent moves by Big Blue to try and get ISVs to look at Linux.
Last month Scot Handy, IBMs vice president for Linux, in Somers, N.Y., told eWEEK.com that the company was encouraging ISVs to port their software that runs primarily on x86 hardware to all its hardware platforms through “Chiphopper,” which refers to the chips hopping from its x86 to zSeries and Power architectures.
IBM is also working with ISVs to train them on Solaris-to-Linux migrations.
The company is also doing “some things with Red Hat to provide additional information, since they are being specifically targeted by Sun as well as new customer offerings and events,” Handy said.