HP, Red Flag partner on corporate Linux

Hewlett-Packard and a Chinese company have teamed to develop and market Linux software to companies in China--and later globally.

China-based Linux distributor Red Flag Software and Palo Alto, Calif.-based HP announced the alliance Tuesday, according to a statement from HP.

The two companies will establish an HP-Red Flag Linux laboratory in HP's existing facilities in Beijing as part of the agreement.

A Linux demonstration center will be set up by both companies to provide services for local Linux users and independent distributors.

HP will support the Red Flag Server 4 series operating system and its subsequent products on the HP Integrity and ProLiant server lines.

Red Flag will work with HP on product quality control, market sales, applications research, management training and applications support services.

"The HP-Intel Solutions Center in Shanghai already has about 50 Linux experts that will help develop the Linux market in China," Martin Fink, an HP vice president, said in a statement.

The cooperative effort will focus on the China market at first, will later expand to the Asia-Pacific region and then go worldwide.

"This strategic alliance with HP will drive the adoption of enterprise Linux in China," Liu Bo, CEO of Red Flag, said in a statement.

HP and Red Flag will partner with chip giant Intel, database software maker Oracle and software maker BEA Systems to provide a common platform for China's government, telecommunications and commercial sectors.

Recently, Red Flag teamed up with Oracle to certify and support database management systems in China.

CNETAsia staff reported from Singapore.