SUSE Launches Next Generation of Award-Winning SUSE Studio

NUREMBERG, Germany, July 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- SUSE today announced the availability of SUSE Studio™ Version 1.2. The latest update to the award-winning development platform helps customers more easily build, update and manage application images across x86, public cloud and IBM System z* deployments, significantly reducing the overhead associated with managing a heterogeneous IT environment.

Cloud computing helps organizations improve IT efficiencies by enabling the consumption of computing resources on an as-needed basis, freeing IT professionals to focus on more strategic purposes.  As organizations embrace the cloud, there is an emerging need for applications that can be deployed to the cloud, as well as to multiple IT environments in the data center itself, including mainframe systems.

"IDC believes software appliances can play a key role in building out cloud deployments. This is why IDC forecasts the packaged software appliance market to grow to $3.7 billion by 2014. The ability to create and maintain one piece of software and deploy anywhere is an essential piece to automating your private, public and hybrid cloud deployments," said Brett Waldman, senior research analyst, Client and Server Virtualization Software, IDC.

"Today's demanding business climate requires that enterprises and ISVs have every opportunity to make services available when needed and at the lowest cost possible," said Sabine Soellheim, solution marketing manager, SUSE.  "This new version of SUSE Studio provides the flexibility our customers seek while allowing enterprises and ISVs to scale up and down as needed, giving them the ability to assemble, build and maintain complete portable application stacks in minutes, for deployment wherever or however they want."

Furthermore, SUSE Studio builds a bridge between x86 microprocessor architectures and mainframes by simplifying the creation, testing, maintenance and deployment of software applications on the mainframe.  Now, customers running hundreds of mission-critical Linux images on mainframes can save time by leveraging an easy-to-use interface for building mainframe workloads.

Two Editions

SUSE Studio Version 1.2 is available in two editions: SUSE Studio Standard Edition for ISV customers and SUSE Studio Advanced Edition for enterprise customers. These latest versions replace the SUSE Appliance Toolkit.

SUSE Studio Standard Edition allows ISVs to transform applications into a "service" and compete against alternative SaaS offerings, providing the agility needed to accelerate time-to-market.  SUSE Studio Standard Edition is the fastest and easiest way for ISVs to shorten sales cycles, reduce deployment costs and extend their applications to the cloud.

SUSE Studio Advanced Edition is designed to help enterprise organizations build, configure and maintain cloud-enabled application images, reducing the complexity, maintenance and support costs of software deployments.  SUSE Studio Advanced Edition also provides a new and simple way to create, maintain and deploy IBM System z workloads by automating routine, labor-intensive tasks, which increases efficiencies and further reduces complexity and costs.

About SUSE Studio

Within the two years that SUSE Studio has been publicly available, leading ISVs, technology providers and enterprises have shown widespread support.  To date, there are more than 150,000 registered users who have built more than 800,000 appliances.  Moreover, SUSE Gallery, launched in 2010, hosts approximately 7,000 appliances and has experienced approximately 52,500 downloads.  

SUSE Studio Standard Edition and SUSE Studio Advanced Edition are available immediately. For more information on additional product updates visit http://www.suse.com/products/susestudio/.

About SUSE

SUSE is a leading provider of enterprise Linux solutions that increase agility, reduce cost and manage complexity in dynamic environments.  With a portfolio centered on SUSE Linux Enterprise, the most interoperable platform for mission-critical computing, SUSE enables organizations to confidently deliver computing services across physical, virtual and cloud environments.  With our award-winning products and ecosystem of partnerships, SUSE solutions empower thousands of organizations around the world. For more information, visit us at www.suse.com.

SUSE and SUSE Studio are trademarks of Novell Inc. in the U.S. and other countries. *All third-party trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

SOURCE SUSE