It should be easier now for users to buy and maintain some Hewlett-Packard Co. servers running SuSE Linux AG's enterprise operating system thanks to an agreement the two vendors announced Thursday.
HP will resell and support the SuSE Linux Enterprise Server 8 on HP ProLiant and Itanium-based servers, giving users "a single point of purchase, support and maintenance," the companies said in a statement.
The agreement, which goes into effect next month, enhances the two vendors' relationship, which dates back five years, streamlining for customers the process of ordering Linux HP servers and receiving support, officials from both companies said in an interview. The deal also boosts SuSE's sales reach worldwide and enhances HP's Linux business, they said. HP has a similar arrangement with SuSE competitor Red Hat Inc.
For the servers covered by this agreement, HP will provide phone and on-site support, while SuSE will be responsible for calls requiring changes to the operating system's code and generation of software patches, officials said.