Investors Regard SUSE Linux as a Well-Established Company and Worthy
Investment
Nuremberg, Germany 02/14/2002 Today, SUSE Linux, the
international Open Source technology leader and solution provider,
announced that the venture capital company AdAstra Erste
Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH, Munich, Germany, invests EUR 4.4 million in
SUSE Linux AG.
SUSE is the leading provider of complete solutions based on Linux, the
Open Source operating system. Large enterprises benefit from SUSE deep
project knowledge in terms of design and implementation of individual IT
structures. For the IT infrastructure of small and medium-scale
enterprises, SUSE offers cost-efficient, easy-to-administer standard
solutions such as the SUSE Linux eMail Server and SUSE Linux Firewall.
Private customers appreciate the multiple-award winner SUSE Linux due to
its ease of use and the variety of applications it comprises. SUSEs
comprehensive range of products and services is based on the unique
know-how of the world's largest development team for Open Source
solutions.
Solid Basis for Long-Term Profitability and Ongoing Growth
During the past months, SUSE Linux AG restructured its internal
organization into four target-group-oriented Business Units, which handle
the various customer segments according to their specific needs. "In the
IT world, SUSE Linux AG is renowned for its highly innovative products and
services. With the new organizational structure, SUSE has established an
optimum base for handling the various requirements of the individual
customer segments, thus being able to participate overproportionately in
the rapidly growing Linux market," commented Hans-Christian Perle, Ph.D.,
AdAstra, on the investment decision.
"The new management exceeded our expectations. Despite a generally
difficult environment, SUSE Linux AG was able to increase its total
turnover by about 50% to EUR 40 million during last year. The former
technology start-up SUSE successfully transformed into a reliable and
auspicious enterprise," added Tillmann Lauk, Ph.D., CEO of the lead
investor, e-millennium 1.
e-millennium 1 incorporates investors such as Deutsche Bank, SAP,
Accenture, and other renowned international enterprises. "The new investor
structure enables SUSE Linux AG to fully exploit its potential. We are
fully convinced that SUSE and Linux are looking towards a bright future,
especially in the server and enterprise computing sectors. Additionally,
SUSE has made a name as an innovative technology provider. Partners such
as IBM, Intel, Compaq, and AMD rely on the engineering feats of the SuSE
developers," said Amnon Harman, responsible Investment Manager at
e-millennium 1.
"Today's investment underscores the leading position of SUSE in the
international Linux market," said Johannes Nussbickel, CFO of SuSE
Linux AG. "In addition, it shows that decision makers in global enterprises
regard Linux as a well-established economic factor."
About AdAstra
AdAstra Erste Beteiligungs GmbH, Munich, Germany, is a privately held
venture capital company with commitments amounting to EUR 100 million. The
company's investment focus is on technology-oriented, fast growing
companies in the IT, telecommunications, media, life sciences, and
high-tech sectors. The Munich-based HypoVereinsbank AG is AdAstra's lead
investor.
About Novell
Novell, Inc. is a leading provider of information solutions that deliver secure identity management (Novell® Nsure™), Web application development (Novell exteNd™) and cross-platform networking services (Novell Nterprise™), all supported by strategic consulting and professional services (Novell NgageSM). Active in the open source community with its Ximian and SUSE Linux brands, Novell is firmly committed to open source and offers comprehensive Linux products and services for the enterprise, from the desktop to the server. Novell's vision of one Net - a world without information boundaries - helps customers realize the value of their information securely and economically. For more information, call Novell's Customer Response Center at (888) 321-4CRC (4272) or visit http://www.novell.com. Press should visit http://www.novell.com/pressroom.
Novell is a registered trademarks; Nsure, exteNd and Nteprise are trademarks; and Ngage is a service mark of Novell, Inc. in the United States and other countries. SUSE is a registered trademark of SUSE Linux AG. * All third-party trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Press Contact:
Jasmin Ul-Haque
Novell, Inc
Phone: +44 (0)1344 326-900
E-mail: juh@novell.com
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