Novell and the China Standard Software Company (CS2C) today announced they would cooperate to develop both Linux* server and Linux desktop offerings for the Chinese market. The announcement builds on the strategic partnership launched in April 2005, and will enable the further adoption of Linux in China. As a result, companies will be able to leverage the power of one of the leading Linux distributions, customized for the China market and backed by the support of Novell.

"As one of China's most competitive software companies, we are committed to R&D and the commercialization of Linux and open source solutions," said Guo XianChen, vice chairman of CS2C. "We have a rich tradition of providing world-class Linux and open standard-based solutions to Chinese users. The cooperation between Novell and CS2C will further drive the development of the Linux industry in China to our mutual advantage. We are looking forward to great results from our cooperation with Novell."

Novell and CS2C signed a strategic memorandum of cooperation in April, 2005. This new announcement reflects a significant expansion of the partnership between the two companies. Novell’s technology leadership, strong R&D capabilities, enterprise class support and services, and global presence in the Linux market, combined with the deep local experience, strong local leadership team, and extensive market presence of CS2C, will expand the development of Linux in China. Novell and CS2C will jointly test and deliver new Linux server and desktop products to Chinese users, backed by best-in-class technical support and a local team with strong Linux expertise and open source development capabilities. The two companies plan to strengthen ties in the future to promote open source technology and software development in China.

            
Rhonda O'Donnell

"Novell is a leading Linux distributor worldwide and CS2C is one of the strongest Linux vendors in China." said Rhonda O'Donnell, president, Novell Asia Pacific. "Our cooperation is a great win for Chinese consumers and the China software sector. Together, we will bring advanced technology and enterprise know-how to Chinese users, while also supporting the development of Linux expertise and open source technology in China."