Announced earlier this month, VMware and Novell are expanding their strategic partnership with an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) agreement through which VMware will distribute and support the SUSE® Linux Enterprise Server operating system. Under the agreement, VMware also intends to standardize its virtual appliance-based product offerings on SUSE Linux Enterprise Server. As a result of this announcement, Gartner, Inc. and IDC each have published their findings on the partnership.
In a Gartner First Take, titled, "VMware/Novell Linux Deal Should Benefit Both, and Customers" (ID Number: G00201500), published on June 11, 2010, Gartner states that "VMware will distribute SUSE Linux Enterprise with its virtual appliance offerings. Both vendors and their customers should gain from the deal, which will make Novell VMware's "go to" partner for Linux."
According to IDC analysts, Brett Waldman and Al Gillen in their June 11, 2010 research, "VMware Expands Strategic Relationship with Novell," "the deal will help VMware defend its turf against the likes of Oracle, Microsoft, and even Red Hat, and the deal is very complementary to its recent acquisition of Springsource and Zimbra. Additionally since VMware will standardize its software appliances on Novell SLES, VMware's customers will know that they will have enterprise class support from the second-largest Linux vendor, removing any possible concerns about the underlying operating system powering these software appliances."
The research report also notes that the announcement will bode well for Novell's SUSE Appliance Program because its selection by VMware as the platform of choice for one of the leading virtualization players is "an incredible endorsement.
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