Mandrake Linux 8.1, released in October 2001, is a complete operating system that provides both fully configured, easy to use desktop solutions plus advanced professional solutions for powerful servers providing for both business and personal needs. As part of their leading-edge support for Linux, MandrakeSoft offer customers services such as MandrakeExpert, which enables Mandrake Linux users to benefit from community technical support and top-level support, offered by MandrakeSoft's experts within a 48 hour response time; the provision of an e-mail alias [email protected]; and MandrakeOnline which offers customers security and update alerts for hardware and software.

MandrakeSoft successfully tested the Linux Mandrake 8.1 release on IBM xSeries servers at IBM's Solution Partnership Centre in Essone, near Paris. Mandrake Linux 8.1 currently supports eServer xSeries models x300, x330, x340, x370, x200 and x220 and the Netfinity 6000R, Netfinity 4500R and Netfinity 5100. Testing is also currently underway on IBM's 64-bit Itanium based server the eServer x380.

MandrakeSoft, a leading worldwide Linux distributor, became the leader with Linux Mandrake in US retail sales, with 33.9% of the market for the first quarter in 2001 (Source: PC-Data).

"MandrakeSoft has an outstanding reputation for quality and support for Linux. MandrakeSoft has invested a lot of time and money in creating a Linux operating system that is intuitively easy to use. I'm extremely pleased that customers can now take advantage of the high availability, low cost IBM eServer xSeries systems running the Mandrake Linux operating system", said Marc Joly, Linux Business Manager, IBM France.

Thousands of companies use the IBM eServer xSeries systems to run their businesses. With IBM eServer xSeries running Linux, customers can further take advantage of physical partitioning, allowing the running of a combination of operating systems and applications for easy hardware consolidation and software migration.

Customers are impressed with the combination of Mandrake Linux on the IBM eServer xSeries systems. Netkonect a UK based business to business ISP looked to IBM and MandrakeSoft to provide them with a stable and reliable solution to run their business. The company installed IBM x340 and x330 servers running Mandrake Linux.

"As many of our customers' entire business depends on the high availability of their servers, a stable and reliable platform was of paramount importance. Our users are continually developing applications on the latest scripting technologies and therefore an up-to-date OS release that does not compromise stability was essential. In choosing this solution, support from IBM and stability of the product was vital. After looking around at the different Linux distributors, we choose the Mandrake Linux OS because it offered the highest level of functionality in an integrated, ease-to-use package", said, Stuart Henderson, Business Development Manager Netkonect.

A long standing customer of Netkonect recently decided to change from their existing virtual hosting option to a managed solution, with start up costs kept to a minimum. An IBM x300 server running Mandrake 8.0 was installed, implemented and tested in a matter of days with no problems. Fifty-two websites were then moved over from Netkonect servers and are now available. While the customer had no previous experience of Linux platforms, a half day familiarisation course provided Netkonect with a happy client.

Price and Availability
Mandrake Linux 8.1 for IBM eServer xSeries will soon be available from retail outlets throughout the world and on www.mandrivastore.com. Pricing depends on the customer's system configuration specifications and support and service requirements.

About MandrakeSoft

MandrakeSoft provides a trusted interface between users of information technology and open source developers. The company offers customers in the small office, home office (SoHo), small and medium size enterprise, government and educational sectors a set of GNU Linux and Open-Source software and related services, and user-friendly and highly competitive information technologies at a very attractive total cost of ownership. In addition, MandrakeSoft offers technologists committed to open software and courseware a trusted channel to offer their services.

The company has technologists in over 20 countries, and entered the Paris Euronext Marché Libre on August 3, 2001 (Euroclear code: 4477.PA; Reuters code: MAKE.PA).

"Born on the Internet" in late 1998, MandrakeSoft established headquarters in the U.S.A., Montreal, England, Germany and France. Please visit the Web site, https://mandriva.com for more information.

For more information on IBM eServer xSeries visit www.ibm.com/servers

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Mandrake and the Mandrake logo are trademarks of MandrakeSoft. The IBM eServer brand consists of the established IBM e-business logo with the following descriptive term "server" following it. The e-business logo, IBM, the IBM logo and xSeries are trademarks or registered trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation. Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds. All other trademarks and copyrights are owned by their respective companies.

Press Contacts
MandrakeSoft
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press Enquiries by phone:
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IBM
Caroline Carr
[email protected]
Tel: 00441413340593