Author: JT Smith
accelerate the adoption of Linux among small and medium business (SMB).
To speed the development of Linux applications that address the unique
needs of small and medium business, IBM introduced the Linux Test Drive for
eServer iSeries, which makes available over the Internet a “virtual Linux
server” to help independent software vendors and the open source community
write and port their applications to Linux on iSeries.
The eServer iSeries uses advanced “partitioning” technology that allows a
single physical server to be divided into dozens of virtual servers that
can be accessed remotely by software developers around the world.
IBM believes the combination of Linux, the fast-growing server operating
system, and IBM eServer iSeries, with its popularity among SMB customers,
can help small business consolidate dozens of standalone servers on a
single, easy-to-manage, mainframe-class server, reducing cost and
complexity. To date, more than 200,000 customers around the world, many of
them mid-sized companies, run their businesses on IBM eServer iSeries,
choosing it for its security, reliability and low total cost of ownership.
According to IDC, small businesses represent 48 percent of all Linux server
installations. Industry analysts also estimate that small and medium size
business (up to 1,000 employees) will represent more than 50 percent of the
total server market worldwide by 2004.
“The Linux Test Drive illustrates IBM’s commitment to the development of
Linux applications that solve real business issues for small to mid-size
customers,” said Kim Stevenson, vice president, IBM eServer iSeries. “The
key to Linux adoption among small and medium-sized businesses is offering
ISVs a fast, convenient way to develop for this important market segment.”
H.A. Technical Solutions LLC, a provider of high availability clustering
and data replication software, recently ported two of its applications to
Linux on eServer iSeries. “The process of moving Unix and Java
applications to Linux on eServer iSeries proved remarkably easy,” said
LeRoy D. Earl, executive vice president, H.A. Technical Solutions. “We
simply installed the software and it ran perfectly.”
Software providers can get more information and enroll at the Linux Test
Drive site at www.ibm.com/eserver/iseries/developer/factory/testdrive.
Participants can select from SuSE or Turbolinux distributions of Linux, and
can choose between 14-day free access or 30-day access for a nominal fee.
The recently announced Red Hat Linux distribution will be supported on the
Test Drive server in January.
IBM eServer iSeries offers mid-sized customers mainframe-class reliability
and security. A single iSeries server can support up to 31 separate Linux
partitions, allowing businesses reduce cost and complexity by consolidating
multiple workloads onto a single, easy-to-manage server. Earlier this
year, IBM eServer iSeries was named “Best of Show” at the LinuxWorld
Conference & Expo in San Francisco.
The Linux Test Drive joins a comprehensive set of Linux software and
hardware offerings for SMB. The Small Business Suite for Linux includes
DB2 Universal Database, WebSphere Application Server and Lotus Domino. The
Suite is bundled to deliver all the tools necessary to help customers with
messaging and collaboration, productivity, Web site creation and design,
and data management.
The Linux Test Drive builds on the success of Linux and the IBM eServer
z900 mainframe in large enterprises. The Linux Community Development
System, a program announced earlier this year, provides developers access
to their own virtual mainframe running Linux, helping them build new
enterprise applications that enable customers to consolidate their
distributed servers on a single IBM zSeries mainframe.
About IBM
IBM is the number one server company in the world, offering a full line of
data transaction, Web application and appliance servers that embrace
industry standards. Powered by breakthroughs such as microprocessors with
copper wiring and Silicon-on-Insulator technology, IBM servers have
captured industry leading benchmarks that measure transactions, Web serving
capabilities and performance in software applications. The IBM eServer
line is an integral part of customized, flexible and scalable Internet
solutions for companies of all sizes. IBM supports Linux on its entire
portfolio of e-business servers.
Through its Small and Medium Business organization, IBM offers a host of
cross-industry and industry-specific solutions designed to meet the needs
of growing companies and help them leverage the potential of the Internet
and network computing.
IBM news releases and fact sheets are available at http://www.ibm.com.
Information about IBM eServer iSeries is available at
http:www.ibm.com/eserver/iseries.
Information about IBM solutions for Linux is available at
http://www.ibm.com/linux.
Information on IBM Small and Medium Business is available at
http:/www.ibm.com/smallbusiness.
The IBM eServer brand consists of the established IBM e-business logo with
the descriptive term “`server”‘ following it. The IBM e-business logo and
iSeries are trademarks or registered trademarks of the IBM Corporation.
Linux is registered trademark of Linus Torvalds.
All others are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective
companies.
