IBM Extends Open Source Virtualization Solutions

Building upon the company's commitment to providing clients open solutions based on Linux and virtualization technologies, IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced its extensive portfolio of middleware and systems platforms will support Novell's new SUSE Linux Enterprise 10 offerings. The new SUSE Linux Enterprise offerings incorporate the open source Xen™ virtualization software to help businesses increase server utilization and lower management costs.

IBM will support Xen technology as part of the Virtualization Engine portfolio on the company's Intel and Opteron processor based server and IBM BladeCenter systems. Additionally, IBM has plans to support SUSE Linux Enterprise 10 from Novell across its entire IBM systems hardware line and IBM middleware portfolio and provide services support.

Xen is an open source virtualization software that allows multiple operating systems to run concurrently on the same physical server, allowing customers to consolidate their current workloads onto a single server. Recent tests by Novell shows customers may have the ability to increase server utilization by nearly 70 percent, as well as help increase the efficiency of managing and provisioning Linux systems.

"This combination of SUSE Linux Enterprise 10 and Xen offers clients the most innovative open technology solution in the market today for running virtualized IT environments," said Scott Handy, vice president, Worldwide Linux and Open Source, IBM. "IBM is committed to Xen because we believe it is a powerful open source technology that will help accelerate a standard virtualization technology platform to enable high levels of simplicity across diverse platforms."

These announcements are the latest initiative in IBM's continuing strategy to embrace virtualization across its entire product portfolio. By 2007, IDC expects the virtualization market to reach $18 billion. [1] Already, IBM offers products and services to help virtualize and manage more than 80 percent of a heterogeneous IT environment.

"IBM was an early supporter of the Xen project," said Ian Pratt, Xen project leader, University of Cambridge Computer Laboratory, and founder of XenSource, the open source company leading Xen development. "Their contributions have spanned many parts of Xen to help us reach this latest milestone with Novell."

Jeff Jaffe, executive vice president and chief technology officer for Novell, said, "Novell is the first company to delivery fully supported Linux innovations like Xen virtualization technology. The combination of IBM's deep expertise with virtualization and our new distribution incorporating Xen is a powerful combination that can help clients reduce their total cost of ownership."

IBM will support Novell's SUSE Linux Enterprise 10 with Xen on its x86 and blade server systems immediately. IBM can be reached at www.ibm.com.

[1] IDC, Virtualization Forum 2006, Welcome and Opening Remarks from Conference, Chairman Vernon Turner, May 2006,Doc # VW2006_04.

The following are either trademarks or registered trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation in the United States or other countries or both: IBM, BladeCenter, the IBM e-business logo. Xen and XenSource are trademarks of XenSource, Inc. Linux is registered trademark of Linus Torvalds. All others are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

Contact: Lisa Lanspery IBM 914-766-4164 lisalans@us.ibm.com

SOURCE:  IBM

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