The contract places Novell on the NSW government panel of preferred open source suppliers. This is the first panel contract of its kind by an Australian jurisdiction that contains provisions specific to open source software, giving government agencies and departments formal access to Linux solutions.

Rhonda O'Donnell, President of Novell Asia-Pacific, said that the agreement was a great endorsement of the advantages that open source has to offer, particularly for government where security and cost issues are of paramount importance.

"The NSW government has an open standards and interoperability initiative, which is complemented by the use of Linux. It is pleasing to see that government departments will be offered greater choice and that open source will be on a level playing field with alternative solutions," she said.

"In addition to product, Novell will provide professional consulting services to government agencies and departments who are considering an open source solution, therefore they will be able obtain guidance as to how they can make best use of the increased cost savings, security and scalability advantages that Linux has to offer."{moscomment}

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