SuSE Linux eyes middleware service market

In a move that could help enterprises more easily expand their use of open source software beyond the Linux operating system, SuSE Linux AG is proposing a new service program for middleware products based on open code.

“There are a lot of new open source products in the middleware market but it’s difficult for enterprises to know who is doing what and, in particular, how to obtain service,” SuSE CEO Richard Seibt Tuesday said in an interview at the LinuxWorld conference and exhibition in Frankfurt. “The service that we’re discussing with the middleware suppliers is for us to provide ‘one-face-to-the-customer’ support and maintenance for their open-source products in addition to ours.”

Under the proposed scheme, SuSE would include open source middleware offerings in its product portfolio and guarantee that customers signing a service contract with the Nuremberg, Germany, software company would receive patches, new releases and more, according to Seibt. “This is not about competition but rather about collaboration,” he said. “Our aim is to enable open source middleware in enterprises – that is, to make it safe and easy for them to use.”

The bundling of open source products comes in response to customer demands for simplified service, according to Seibt.

As part of the service, SuSE would ensure that all middleware applications running on Linux work without bugs. “If a bug surfaces, we fix it,” Seibt said. “Customers don’t have to waste time finding someone to handle that.”

SuSE has already held talks with several providers of open source middleware. “The response has been good; there’s definitely interest in collaborating,” Seibt said. “But, of course, the devil is in the details. We will need to agree on various issues, including service fees.”

Over the next three to six months, SuSE hopes to announce the “next step” for its middleware service program, according to Seibt. He referred to the program as a “win-win” proposition for SuSE and suppliers of open source middleware products, including The Apache Software Foundation, JBoss Group LLC and Zope.

Signalling its new focus on middleware, SuSE Tuesday announced an agreement to join the ObjectWeb consortium, which is focused on open source middleware. As a member of the consortium, the German software company will have privileged access to the community of developers of many middleware components and platforms, including Java open application server (JOnAS), the company said in a statement released at the LinuxWorld conference.

ObjectWeb, which was founded by Bull SA, France Télécom SA and the French National Institute for Research in Computer Science and Control, promotes alternative software to proprietary products focused on e-business, enterprise application integration, grid computing and enterprise messaging. In September, Red Hat, which competes with SuSE, joined the ObjectWeb consortium.

As for SuSE’s continued independence, Seibt would only say that the company continues to be a rumored candidate for acquisition by a number of companies, including most recently Novell. “There are lots of rumors out there, and there will be many more,” he said. “We’re doing well, and that attracts attention.”