New technologies like BEA WebLogic JRockit(TM) 1.4.2 and partnerships with SUSE LINUX can help BEA support customers building infrastructures based on the rapidly-growing Linux platform. The combination of the industry's only tightly-integrated, converged application platform suite, with the superior price and performance offered by Linux, makes BEA WebLogic Platform(TM) on Linux one of BEA's fastest-growing software platforms.

To support this growing trend, BEA is dedicated to out innovating competitors and offering customers the most robust, cost-effective and manageable Linux technologies on the market. Available today, the new BEA WebLogic JRockit 1.4.2 is designed to deliver new features that can make one of the world's fastest Java Virtual Machine even faster.

BEA WebLogic JRockit also offers simplified configuration via automatic and dynamic tuning designed to match the needs of each particular application, as well as enhanced management and monitoring capability designed for improved operations productivity. As such, WebLogic JRockit 1.4.2 can deliver better performance, simplified configuration and increased developer and operations productivity. In addition, later this year, BEA WebLogic Enterprise Security(TM), is scheduled to support Red Hat Linux Advanced Server 2.1. By incorporating its industry-leading application infrastructure expertise into BEA WebLogic Enterprise Security, BEA is being designed to help enterprises running Red Hat Linux to strengthen application security, enable secure information access and improve IT efficiency and cost.

In addition to working closely with partners like Intel and Red Hat, BEA has also strengthened its ties with SUSE LINUX, a product unit of Novell, and HP. SUSE LINUX has agreed to co-develop Linux solutions and bundle BEA WebLogic JRockit, one of the world's fastest Java Virtual Machine, as part of its product offering (see today's related BEA news release).

Developers have also recognized the inherent value of Linux and as a result, BEA, via dev2devOnline (dev2dev.bea.com), has created new programs and services to support the developer community. At LinuxWorld, BEA plans to offer free development licenses for BEA WebLogic Platform 8.1 and BEA WebLogic Workshop(TM) 8.1 in a CD-ROM bundle. BEA also plans to raffle off a free, one-year dev2dev platform subscription (an $850 value). Subscribers can receive the latest platform technologies from BEA via quarterly shipments on CD, along with full-use development licenses and BEA support.

Additionally, at the Financial Services Summit held in conjunction with LinuxWorld, BEA Chief Information Officer Rhonda Hocker is scheduled to illustrate the benefits of creating a services-oriented architecture (SOA) that combines a unified, simplified and extensible J2EE infrastructure deployed on the Linux operating system and Intel-based servers. Hocker's session entitled, "Why Wait? Deploy on Linux Broadly Now and Realize Competitive Advantage," will include a case study from BEA customer The Northern Trust.

"BEA is committed to working with Linux and delivering superior price and performance to our customers," said Rhonda Hocker, CIO of BEA Systems. "We are working with partners on joint solutions, out-innovating our competitors and creating new programs and resources to support developers working with Linux."