| Novell, HP partner on desktop Linux clients |
Mar. 25, 2004
HP has announced it will partner with Novell to certify and support Novell's SuSE Linux on select HP Compaq client systems. HP cites thin clients as the most promising growth area for Linux on the desktop, and identifies Asia, India, and South America as the most promising growth markets.
In a press conference yesterday, HP's Martin Fink, VP of Linux, said Fortune 50 customers are interested in thin Linux clients on the desktop, rather than in replacing Windows desktop OSes with Linux on a one-to-one basis. "When we look at this growth of Linux clients over time, the growth will take place in a different way than it currently takes place with desktop clients," Fink said.
Previously, HP and Novell had partnered to certify SuSE on HP ProLiant and Integrity servers. Having the same OS on server and client will be a boon for HP, according to Novell Vice Chairman Chris Stone, who said, "It's all about how the desktop lives within a larger network framework."
HP will continue to support Red Hat on select server platforms, according to Fink. Red Hat announced last November it would discontinue its client product line.
Fink noted that emerging markets such as Asia, India, and South America are best positioned to adopt Linux clients, since they have lower investments in legacy technologies. He quoted IDC market research suggesting Linux has a current market penetration of about two percent worldwide, expected to reach ten percent by the end of the decade.
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