Novell Signs Agreement With Ministry of Education

14 July 2005

Novell Signs National Agreement With Ministry of Education to Provide Novell Software to Schools

Novell has signed a national agreement with the New Zealand Ministry of Education to provide all state and state-integrated schools with a range of Novell software, including SUSE Linux operating systems.

The deal, which was announced by the Minister for Education, Trevor Mallard at the Ulearn ICT conference in Auckland this week, involves an 18 month licensing agreement between the Ministry of Education and Novell which will give schools across the nation access to Novell Open Enterprise Server, SUSE Linux server and desktop operating systems and other Novell applications such as ZENworks, Groupwise and Border Manager.

Currently each school using Novell software has had to enter into a separate licensing agreement. The new centralised agreement will allow all schools to deploy a wide range of Novell server and desktop applications or SUSE Linux operating systems on the server or desktop with full support at a competitive cost.

Douglas Harré, Senior ICT Consultant from the Ministry of Education said, “A large number of New Zealand schools have been ardent Novell users for many years. This new agreement will allow those schools to upgrade to the latest versions of Novell’s wide range of server software at no cost. In addition, Novell desktop management software will now be available to schools who have previously not had access to it. Novell’s support for open source software will also allow the increasing number of schools wishing top use such software to feel comfortable in making such a decision.

Matthew Christie, General Manager of Novell New Zealand said, “Embracing open source offers many opportunities for New Zealand schools now and in the future. This agreement embodies all the advantages of Novell’s traditional offerings plus the advantages of Linux and open source – the provision of cost-effective, secure and reliable systems. We are very pleased to enter into an agreement with the Ministry of Education in New Zealand and help schools to operate in a competitive environment with greater choice and cost effective access to Novell’s management systems such as ZENworks.”

ENDS

About Novell

Novell is a leading provider of information solutions that deliver secure identity management (Novell Nsure), Web application development (Novell exteNd) and cross-platform networking services (Novell Nterprise), all supported by strategic consulting and professional services (Novell Ngage). Active in the open source community with its Ximian and SUSE LINUX brands, Novell provides a full range of Linux products and services for the enterprise, from the desktop to the server. Novell’s vision of one Net—a world without information boundaries—helps customers realise the value of their information securely and economically.

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