Novell Ships SUSE Linux Enterprise Point of Service for Retailers

WALTHAM, Mass. (Map) - WALTHAM, Mass., Feb. 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Novell today announced the availability of SUSE(R) Linux Enterprise Point of Service, the latest version of Novell's Linux* solution optimized for retail computing environments. SUSE Linux Enterprise Point of Service allows retailers to customize and manage point of service (POS) systems, reducing their in-store and data center costs while increasing system flexibility and reliability.

"SUSE Linux Enterprise Point of Service brings the familiar and proven capabilities of Novell Linux Point of Service onto the SUSE Linux Enterprise 10 platform," said Roger Levy, senior vice president and general manager of Open Platform Solutions for Novell. "SUSE Linux Enterprise Point of Service further extends the reach of SUSE Linux Enterprise, providing a modern, flexible solution to run today's advanced POS applications and the centralized management tools needed to minimize administration effort."

SUSE Linux Enterprise Point of Service provides capabilities to support large, multi-tier POS environments such as those of major retail companies. The solution not only enables rapid building of custom images but also includes several retail-specific images out of the box, delivering features to support popular retail industry standards for application development, such as JavaPOS.

SUSE Linux Enterprise Point of Service can be quickly deployed and easily updated on point of service devices using a central administration server and local branch servers. It centrally manages POS device images, automatically matches images to hardware profiles, distributes images to local branch servers, and automatically installs the appropriate images on POS devices. This latest version delivers enhancements in image creation tools, hardware enablement, and configuration patterns and scripts for managing multi-tier POS environments.

Gregg Margosian, business line executive, Software and Services, for IBM Retail Store Solutions, said, "Rapid growth in consumer sophistication has placed significant pressures on retailers to deliver innovative solutions that enhance their clients' store experiences. We are committed to working with solution providers to deploy new and enhanced offerings that match the needs of an increasingly dynamic IT retail environment. We welcome Novell's release of SUSE Linux Enterprise Point of Service and look forward to working with them to deliver flexible and proven customer solutions."

Richard Arnold, NCR vice president of Industry Marketing, Retail and Hospitality, said, "Store environments have become more demanding than ever as retailers strive to achieve consumer-centric retailing. To help meet that demand, NCR Corporation is certifying its POS workstations, including the NCR RealPOS 80XRT, which delivers industry-leading power, scalability and systems management capabilities, for SUSE Linux Enterprise Point of Service. We look forward to working with Novell to provide our customers with a secure and reliable Linux-based solution optimized for the retail environment."

Availability

SUSE Linux Enterprise Point of Service is now available worldwide through Novell(R) authorized resellers. For more information, visit www.novell.com/products/linuxpointofservice.

The next-generation platform for the open enterprise, SUSE Linux Enterprise is the best-engineered and most interoperable platform for mission-critical computing, from the desktop to the data center. For more information on SUSE Linux Enterprise offerings from Novell, visit www.novell.com/linux.

About Novell

Novell, Inc. (Nasdaq: NOVL) delivers infrastructure software for the Open Enterprise. Novell is a leader in desktop to data center operating systems based on Linux and the software required to secure and manage mixed IT environments. Novell helps customers around the world minimize cost, complexity and risk, allowing them to focus on innovation and growth. For more information, visit www.novell.com.

Novell and SUSE are registered 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.