Microsoft strikes a renewed public cloud deal with SUSE Linux

Operating system provider SUSE Linux has announced that it has struck a new deal with Microsoft  focuses on the public cloud business.

For a platform-agnostic Microsoft Linux has become an increasingly important part of their business, with Kristin Kinan, global alliance director for public cloud at SUSE noting:

“Microsoft’s Linux business has grown to over 22 to 25% of their public cloud business, demonstrating customer commitment to Linux. Their investment in open source solutions, selling initiatives and partnering has exceeded our expectations.”

Germany-based SUSE Linux was previously owned by Novell when Microsoft struck their first deal with them in 2006.  SUSE had launched offerings including the Microsoft Azure preview in 2012 and had been engineering solutions with the Microsoft Open Source Technology Centre and Azure Engineering ever since. Now an independent company, the renewed deal will supercedes earlier agreements between the two companies and include updated terms and commitments. New solutions include the SUSE High Performance Computing image, SUSE Manager Management Pack updates and image infrastructure updates.

Microsoft has struck earlier deals with Red Hat and Canonical, and in a sign of the times is expected to release an update for Skype for Linux next week, its first in more than 2 years.