first center in New York City to help the financial services industry
deploy Linux® solutions. The Linux center, which will be based in IBM’s
landmark building at 590 Madison Avenue, will include hardware, software
and services from IBM as well as various participating companies, designed
to help financial services customers test and implement Linux applications.
The center represents an initial investment of more than $1 milllion from
IBM.
“IBM is viewed as a leader in Linux and open solutions, and it is a
natural evolution of our long standing partnership for J.D. Edwards to
participate in IBM’s Linux Center of Competence,” said Les Wyatt, senior
vice president and chief marketing officer, J.D. Edwards. “J.D. Edwards
collaborative CRM solution, working with IBM hardware and software in the
Linux Center of Competence, will allow us to address the flexibility and
scalability requirements of financial services customers.”
IBM’s Linux Center of Competence (Linux CoC) will provide the financial
sector with a full range of support for Linux, including access to IBM
hardware, software and services to evaluate and test key applications on
Linux, secure technical advice, participate in Linux training courses and
educational programs, attend community events, as well as work in a
hands-on environment with key ISVs, Linux distributors and Business
Partners.
“In the face of a challenging economy, IBM customers in the financial
sector are moving to Linux because of its low cost, powerful security,
stability and flexibility,” said Steve Solazzo, General Manager, Linux at
IBM. “But, most importantly, they are moving to Linux because it enables
their deployment of applications that give them competitive advantage. The
breadth of customers, Business Partners, ISVs, and vendors that are
participating with IBM in the Linux Center of Competence is a clear
indicator that there is demand on Wall Street for complete Linux
solutions.”
At the center, financial services customers will have an opportunity to
test several types of Linux solutions including:
IBM’s entire eServer product line including, Intel-based xSeries
systems, powerful and inexpensive Linux clusters that transform the
processing of quantitative applications to distributed applications in
brokerage or branch locations, and Linux mainframes to take advantage of
the cost savings associated with server consolidation.
IBM’s TotalStorage products including, the Enterprise Storage Server,
code-named Shark, network attached storage, and tape storage to provide
storage consolidation, improve the availability of information and
ensure that it is protected and provide disaster recovery solutions.
Industry leading integration software that streamlines business
processes, making it easier and less expensive to share information
across a variety of applications throughout a corporation and its remote
locations.
SunGard, JD Edwards, VERITAS Software, and Sybase are among the premier
firms whose technologies will be available in the IBM Linux Center. In
addition to the IBM Learning Services courses available, these Business
Partners and participating companies will provide seminars and hands-on
training sessions for customers using their Linux applications.
“As part of the drive to help clients reduce Total Cost of Ownership, IBM
and SunGard are exploring Linux as part of a Server and Application
consolidation plan that will help SunGard and IBM customers integrate their
application environments to speed processing of financial transactions,”
said Mack Gill, Director, Alliance Programs.
Linux Center of Competence Offerings
Hardware and Software Capabilities
IBM will make its eServer product line available to users of the Center to
evaluate key financial industry applications on a variety of platforms
ranging from Intel® processor-based eServer xSeries servers to the IBM
eServer zSeries mainframe running Linux. To complement IBM’s eServer and
software products, IBM will also make available an extensive selection of
Linux enabled storage networking technologies from the TotalStorage family
including, “Shark” Enterprise Storage Server, FAStT, Network Attached
Storage and tape products.
As the leading software vendor in support of Linux, IBM will provide its
broad middleware portfolio across the eServer product line, including
WebSphere® infrastructure software, DB2® database, Lotus® Domino and
Tivoli® software. Using IBM hardware and software, the Center will provide
real-world settings to show users how to streamline processes by
integrating applications; maximize client information to strengthen
customer relationships; and share key data more efficiently across an
organization.
The Eclipse, open source platform will also be supported in the Center lab.
With over 1 million downloads, Eclipse is quickly becoming a key
environment for developers. IBM will make its Eclipse-based WebSphere
Studio tools — which span the entire middleware portfolio — available in
the Linux Center, giving software programmers access to a single,
integrated set of tools that help reduce development costs and increase
productivity.
IBM Global Services Support and Teaching Capabilities
IBM Global Services (IGS) will offer the expertise of its technical staff
to assist in specific client engagements including porting efforts,
benchmarks and proof of concept work.
Linux training courses will also be available through the Linux CoC. IBM
offers the most extensive Linux course portfolio in the market, with more
than 20 classroom-based courses, as well as e-learning courses featuring
live remote labs and e-tutors. IBM courses range from “Linux Basic
Training” to LPI and Red Hat certification programs. Along with Linux
administration certification, the Learning Services courses provide skills
and training on how to realign UNIX® skills and applications to leverage
Linux environments.
Linux Community Events and Speakers
IBM and a variety of Business Partners and participating companies will
regularly host speakers to discuss latest developments, trends and
technologies around Linux. In addition to key community speakers, the
Linux Center of Competence will be used by key industry groups, such as The
New York Linux Users Group, the New York New Media Association, New York
Software Industry Association, and the Java Users Group. The New York
Linux Users Group, whose members work on Wall Street and comprise the
largest Linux community in New York, will also use the Linux Center as its
homebase of operations, hosting monthly meetings, technical presentations,
speakers and industry events.
Linux Distributors, ISVs and Partners
As part of their ongoing commitment in support IBM’s Linux initiatives,
SuSE Linux will provide ongoing installation and technical support for the
IBM Linux Center. In addition, SuSE and its business partners will provide
assistance to the Linux CoC in porting client applications and integrating
enterprise solutions. Some key ISV’s that will work with IBM and help with
integration of applications include Axiom Software Laboratories, Inc., a
leading provider of enterprise data and risk management solutions, and
Intelligent Markets, a leading trading platform for securities dealers.
About IBM
IBM is the world’s number one server company and information technology
provider, with 80 years of leadership in helping businesses innovate. IBM
helps customers, Business Partners and developers in a wide range of
industries that leverage the power of the Internet for e-business. For more
information, visit http://www.ibm.com.
IBM, eServer, DB2, Websphere, xSeries, Tivoli, and zSeries are trademarks
or registered trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation in
the United States and other countries.
Lotus and Domino are trademarks or registed trademarks of Lotus Development
Corporation.
Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds.
Intel is a registered trademark of Intel Corporation.
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