IBM HAS ANNOUNCED a new partnership with Linux specialists Suse and MariaDB to bolster the Linux app eco-system on the Power Systems platform.

It was revealed at IBM Enterprise 2014, currently taking place in Las Vegas, that the first product of the union will be MariaDB Enterprise MySQL database optimised for the Suse Linux Enterprise Server 12 platform on Power8 servers.

We know Suse Linux Enterprise Server 12 is due for release during the last quarter of the year, so if MariaDB is due first we can expect that pretty soon, though no firm information is available.

Patrik Sallner, CEO of MariaDB Corporation, said: "This partnership is a win for Suse, a win for IBM and a win for MariaDB's customers and community.

"The optimisation of MariaDB for Suse Linux Enterprise Server 12 on IBM Power Systems servers with Power8 processors gives enterprise companies an ideal way to easily deploy database environments with unparalleled scale-out performance and near continuous availability."

IBM hopes the move will encourage more customers to take up the opportunities of the cloud in an open-source environment.

IBM has also announced a new Power Systems server, the S824L, based on technology from Nvidia. It is claimed that the new server will improve performance by up to 20 percent over Intel Xeon v3 processors.

The partnerships form part of the IBM OpenPower Foundation, set up last year to create common standards in cloud computing, and currently boasting members including Nvidia, Google and Ubuntu.

IBM announced last year that it would make a $1bn financial investment in the continuing development of Linux.

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IBM Power Systems joins with Suse and MariaDB for Linux expansion