Novell extends support for SUSE Linux Enterprise to 10 years

Novell is extending its SUSE Linux Enterprise support plan to better accommodate server applications.

Under the new plan, the company will extend its support lifecycle and allow each SUSE Linux Enterprise Server release to be covered for 10 years rather than the previous seven years.

Novell will also extend support for service packs from two to five years, and offer support for deployments running on IBM System z hardware.

The company said that extending support allows enterprises to have Linux servers supported over increasingly long server application lifecycles.

"Our customers have made it clear that the long-term support of their Linux platforms is critical to their business," said Novell Open Platform Solutions senior vice president and general manager Markus Rex.

"The extension of our support programme and the release of SP4 for SUSE Linux Enterprise 10 provide important benefits for datacentre operators, giving them UNIX-calibre lifecycles for critical workloads."

The extension comes as Novell is rolling out the Service Pack 4 update for SUSE Linux Enterprise 10. In addition to security and stability fixes, the Service Pack adds hardware support and new device drivers.

The push for longer support could gain traction in the enterprise market, according to analysts.

"It offers greater visibility and stability for large server deployments," said 451 Group senior analyst Jay Lyman. "Many of those are in cloud computing and require extensive planning and management."

Lyman told V3.co.uk that the move should also ease enterprise user anxiety over support amid the dealings dealings between Novell and Attachmate.