Linux vendor Red Hat has signed a master distribution deal with Bell Microproducts Europe in an attempt to develop a broader market for its open-source software.

The distribution deal will give Bell licence to sell Red Hat's entire portfolio of open-source architecture solutions and services to its resellers.

Hitesh Patel, business partner manager at Red Hat, said there are three main reasons for signing Bell.

"Bell owns Ideal, which has good contacts in the storage channel. The OpenPSL part of Bell gives us an excellent entry into the market for Hewlett-Packard and IBM enterprise products. And it gives us a completely integrated coverage of as wide an area as possible," he said.

Patel added that, having spent a long time developing enterprise Linux, Red Hat needs the right infrastructure to deliver it.

It's the storage component that is becoming increasingly crucial in the enterprise sector, said Mark Johnson, Bell Microproduct's general manager for software in Europe. "Linux and open source are increasingly important to our customers. By working with Red Hat, we've ensured we're offering them the best choice."

The three major markets for resellers offering Linux solutions, according to Patel, will be the SME sector, enterprises and government computing.

crn@vnu.co.uk