Sun and SuSE sign global alliance

Sun Microsystems and SuSE have signed a global alliance covering Java and SuSE's Linux Enterprise Server.

Under the terms, Sun will sell and provide first-line support for SuSE Linux Enterprise Server 8 on its Intel x86-based systems.

In turn SuSE will license Java 2 Standard Edition while also formalising an existing agreement to distribute Sun's Java Virtual Machine for running Java applications. This will allow SuSE to access and compile Java source code.

The agreement is similar to one which Sun recently put in place with SuSE rival Red Hat, bringing it more into line with other major hardware vendors.

"This is the fifth global player to provide support for SuSE Linux Enterprise," Malcolm Yates, strategic alliance manager at SuSE, told vnunet.com. The others are IBM, Hewlett Packard, SAP and Oracle.

"Sun has quite a large installed base looking for Linux and they can now deal with Sun for the operating system along with other hardware and software," added Yates.

After trying to produce its own supported Linux product, Sun changed its strategy. In May it announced a global alliance with Red Hat which is due to come into force this summer.

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