| Novell, HP team on Linux initiative for German municipalities |
Oct. 27, 2004
HP and Novell GmbH have launched a project in Germany to support IT migrations to Linux desktops and servers in local German governments. Called "Linux Kommunale," the initiative combines HP's hardware along with Novell's SuSE Enterprise Server 9, Linux desktop, and management tools.
As part of the initiative, HP will offer municipalities Linux-compatible thin clients, desktops, servers, network infrastructure, printers, and scanners. HP will also offer no-interest financing on IT equipment purchases by German government agencies.
According to European analyst firm Soreon Research, the market for open source software in Germany was 131 million euro in 2003, a number that is forecast to grow to 307 million euro by 2007.
Despite European concerns about software patents, Germany's Munich city government has officially selected Linux to run on over 14,000 municipal desktops. The selection of open source over proprietary operating systems followed a year-long pilot program that saw Microsoft dramatically reduce its pricing, and even merited a visit from Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.
The HP/Novell initiative has launched a website that is available in German. It offers strategies for deployments and also offers partner information for localized support throughout Germany.
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