[lug] Interesting news

[Jeffrey Brown]

Novell Announces Agreement to Acquire Leading Enterprise Linux
Technology Company SUSE LINUX

Novell's newest Linux acquisition demonstrates its continuing
commitment to the open source model and developer community. Also, IBM
has demonstrated its recognition of Novell's leadership in Linux by
making an equity investment in Novell and will negotiate extensions to a
commercial agreement with Novell/SUSE LINUX to support the IBM eServer
line.


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Novell today announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire SUSE
LINUX, one of the world's leading enterprise Linux companies, expanding
Novell's ability to provide enterprise-class services and support on the
Linux platform. With the open source expertise of SUSE LINUX and
Novell's world-class networking and identity solutions and support,
training and consulting services, Novell will be able to deliver Linux
and all its components -- from the server to the desktop -- and give
organizations a secure, reliable and mature Linux foundation. Novell
will pay $210 million in cash to complete the acquisition. The
transaction is subject to regulatory approval and the winding up of
shareholder agreements. Novell expects the transaction to close by the
end of its first fiscal quarter (January 2004).

This latest move follows Novell's August purchase of Ximian, a leader
in Linux server and desktop solutions, and further demonstrates Novell's
ongoing commitment to provide customers a full range of Linux solutions.
Both the Ximian and SUSE LINUX acquisitions affirm Novell's commitment
to promoting the open source model and developer community.

Novell today also announced that IBM intends to make a $50 million
investment in Novell convertible preferred stock. In addition, Novell
and IBM are negotiating extensions to the current commercial agreements
between IBM and SUSE LINUX for the continued support of SUSE LINUX on
IBM's eServer products and middleware products, and to provide for
product and marketing support arrangements related to SUSE LINUX. Both
of these agreements will be effective when the acquisition of SUSE LINUX
by Novell is completed.

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LINKS
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For More Information please visit
http://www.novell.com/news/press/archive/2003/11/pr03069.html?sourceid=suse_dev_press


Press Conference Invitation
Novell and SUSE LINUX will hold a press conference at 11 a.m. EST (5
p.m. CET)) to discuss the transaction in greater detail. The press
conference can be heard live at http://www.novell.com/webcast 

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