Taxman tests SuSE's mettle

The department has signed a deal with Novell which will mean that it can buy the SuSE and a range of proprietary Novell software products including NetWare and ZenWorks.

The kiwi tax department is planning a huge review of the department's IT strategy that is expected to be complete in a year. There are more than 7,000 deskops up for grabs.

Spokestaxpeople said that there has been no decision as to what will be installed on the machines yet and talks are being held with other vendors.

However, the deal could just be the tip of the iceberg. Under the Novell deal there is a syndicated procurement agreement, which means other government agencies will be able to buy SuSE Linux and other Novell products on the same prices and terms negotiated by Inland Revenue.

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