Novell Renames Community Linux Distribution 'openSUSE'

WALTHAM, Mass.
10 Aug 2006

Novell will ship openSUSE for Linux enthusiast community and SUSE Linux Enterprise for enterprise customers

Novell today announced simplified branding to make it even easier for customers to identify the right Linux* product for their needs. SUSE® Linux, Novell's award-winning community Linux distribution, will now be known as “openSUSE™,” echoing the name of the Novell-sponsored open source Linux project, openSUSE.org. Novell's enterprise Linux products will continue to be designated “SUSE Linux Enterprise.”

An end-user-oriented distribution that Novell® makes available to Linux users everywhere via free download and free redistribution, openSUSE is not intended for business deployments but provides Linux enthusiasts and corporate evaluators with an excellent first look at the latest Linux and other open source technologies. Technologies previewed in openSUSE, when refined and fully supported, may appear in future Novell enterprise Linux offerings. The current version is 10.1, and openSUSE 10.2 is scheduled to ship in late 2006.

“The new name 'openSUSE' distinguishes our community distribution from our enterprise products, helping us maintain clear brands for our two main Linux constituencies,” said John Dragoon, senior vice president and chief marketing officer at Novell. “The spotlight is shining on Novell's Linux offerings, as shown by the great success of the year-old openSUSE project and the tremendous reviews received by our SUSE Linux Enterprise 10 products.”

openSUSE is created by the openSUSE.org project, the Novell-sponsored community initiative that promotes the use of Linux everywhere, especially among traditionally non-technical audiences with a retail boxed product. Available for free download or in the convenient packaged retail edition, openSUSE delivers reliability and security at an affordable price. The openSUSE.org project has more than 30,000 registered members, and SUSE Linux 10.1 (now openSUSE) recently topped 350,000 verified installations since its launch in May.

SUSE Linux Enterprise 10 is the next-generation platform for the open enterprise. SUSE Linux Enterprise 10 from Novell includes SUSE Linux Enterprise Server and SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop, providing a secure and reliable foundation for enterprise computing from the desktop to the data center – a lineup of enterprise-class solutions matched by no other Linux vendor.

For more information on Novell's Linux offerings, visit http://www.novell.com/linux.

About Novell

Novell, Inc. (Nasdaq: NOVL) delivers Software for the Open Enterprise™. With more than 50,000 customers in 43 countries, Novell helps customers manage, simplify, secure and integrate their technology environments by leveraging best-of-breed, open standards-based software. With over 20 years of experience, more than 5,000 employees, 5,000 partners and support centers around the world, Novell helps customers gain control over their IT operating environment while reducing cost. More information about Novell can be found at http://www.novell.com.

Novell and SUSE are registered trademarks, and openSUSE and Software for the Open Enterprise are trademarks of Novell, Inc. in the United States and other countries. *Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds. All other third-party trademarks are the property of their respective owners.