HPdeepened its relationship with open source software
concern JBoss, agreeing to become a major source of support for its
application server and Linux.
In the deal, for which financial terms have not been disclosed, HP will also
use its solid reputation for services and provide a fleet of consultants to help
clients design, implement and migrate to the JBoss platform.
Also, to allay clients’ concerns about support for open source software,
which some experts say has been lacking in the industry, HP will provide
additional support via its Linux Reference Architecture. This stack of
software, hardware and services is designed to help minimize the risk for
customers who want to use open source software in their data centers.
In early 2005, HP will offer OpenView Application Management software to
monitor and manage change for systems that use JBoss application server,
according to a statement.
HP’s latest pledge builds on similar open source news this May. The Palo
Alto, Calif., vendor agreed
to support the MySQL database server and JBoss application server software
in its ProLiant and Integrity servers.
HP, the first major Linux vendor to certify JBoss, is a big believer that
supporting open source interests will put it in good stead with
current and future customers. The company employs more than 6,500 Linux
services workers.
“The combination of HP industry-standard hardware and exceptional support
with solutions from key partners has broad appeal to enterprise customers
looking to simplify their infrastructures and save money,” said Martin Fink,
vice president of Linux at HP.
The agreement could also help HP more effectively compete against IBM, which has invested more than $1 billion in Linux since 1999. HP
doesn’t offer its own application server, but by offering customers JBoss, it
should be able to offer a compelling alternative to application servers from
IBM and BEA Systems.
JBoss, which makes money from the services it offers for its open source
software, can get major exposure for its application server through HP.