Paris, France-based Mandriva will work with NEC Computers to certify its Madriva Linux operating system on NEC’s notebooks, desktops, and servers, according to the terms of the agreement.
The two companies said they will also work together to develop specific operating system solutions for the private and public sectors, as well as a creating a new program for the education sector.
NEC Computers already offers Red Hat Inc’s Enterprise Linux on some of its Express/5800 range of servers, but does not currently offer Linux on its desktop or notebook products in Europe. This is the hardware vendor’s first relationship with Mandriva.
The French Linux distributor has had some luck in signing up new hardware partners recently as it looks to pose more of a challenge to Red Hat and Novell Inc. Earlier this month it announced that it had persuaded Dell Inc to introduce its first Linux laptop, although only on a special configuration designed specifically for the French education sector.
