Press Release

SAN FRANCISCO (LinuxWorld Conference & Expo)
03 Aug 2004

• Novell to Ship JBoss Application Server with SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server and Novell exteNd
• Combination of products delivers powerful application platform for J2EE and Linux developers
• Strategy of embracing open source enables Novell to deliver more value to customers

Novell and JBoss, Inc. today announced a new licensing and joint support agreement whereby Novell will bundle and support the open source JBoss® Application Server with SUSE® LINUX Enterprise Server and Novell® exteNd^TM. The widely deployed JBoss application server is the first open source application server to achieve J2EE* 1.4 compliance, a significant milestone for JBoss and the open source and J2EE communities. Together, Novell and JBoss will deliver the powerful combination of open source, Linux* and J2EE to the enterprise.

“Service-oriented architecture has become the foundation for delivering the flexible business applications that modern businesses require,” said Chris Stone, Novell vice chairman – Office of the CEO. “Linux is quickly becoming the de facto operating system for cost-effective computing. Building and deploying J2EE applications to open source platforms like JBoss and SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server provides organizations with the dual benefits of openness and power to deliver a huge competitive advantage.”

SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server 9, also announced and shipping today, is the first Novell product to include the JBoss Application Server, which provides customers with a proven application development platform for Linux. The combined solution is complemented by a robust software development kit (SDK) with a wealth of documentation, tools and examples that make Linux developers more productive. Technical support for customers will be provided by Novell, with backing from JBoss.

Martin Fink, HP vice president, Linux, said, “HP applauds the inclusion of an established, J2EE-compliant application server with SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server. This supports HP's ongoing efforts to bring Linux, J2EE and open source, in general, to the enterprise market.”

The next major release of Novell exteNd, planned for late 2005, will include JBoss Application Server 4.x in place of the Novell exteNd Application Server. Novell will continue to provide support for the Novell exteNd Application Server, as well as JBoss, IBM WebSphere*, BEA WebLogic* and Jakarta Tomcat*, but will no longer provide new releases of the exteNd Application Server.

As both the JBoss and Novell application servers are J2EE compliant, migration in most cases will simply involve redeploying applications to a new server. Novell will also provide a series of white papers and technical guides to assist customers. For additional guidance, Novell Worldwide Services can help with the development and execution of a migration plan to JBoss and assist in testing.

Marc Fleury, president and CEO of JBoss, Inc., said, “As Linux moves from the workgroup to the data center, businesses will increasingly rely upon open source to power mission-critical applications. Novell is one of the pioneers in the J2EE space, and the combination of JBoss, SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server and Novell exteNd provides IT administrators with the most mature environment for delivering enterprise applications on Linux.”

About Novell

Novell, Inc. (Nasdaq: NOVL) is a leading provider of infrastructure software and services to over 50,000 customers in 43 countries. With more than 20 years of experience in data center, workgroup and desktop solutions, Novell's 6,000 employees, 5,000 partners and support centers around the world are meeting customer requirements for identity-driven computing and Linux solutions. By providing enterprise-class software and support for commercial and open source software, Novell delivers increased operating flexibility and choice at a lower total cost of ownership. More information about Novell can be found at http://www.novell.com.

Novell and Ximian are registered trademarks; Nsure, exteNd and Nterprise 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, a Novell business. JBoss is a registered trademark of JBoss, Inc. *All third-party trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Press Contacts

Montse  González
Novell, Inc.
Telephone: 91 640 25 00
Email: mgonzalez@novell.com

Nathalie Mason-Fleury
JBoss, Inc.
Telephone: (404) 467-8555
Email: nathalie.fleury@jboss.com

Chantal Yang
Schwartz Communications for JBoss
Telephone: (781) 684-0770
Email: jboss@schwartz-pr.com

John Moran
Schwartz Communications for JBoss
Telephone: (781) 684-0770
Email: jboss@schwartz-pr.com

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