Business Wire: Red Hat Has Appointed Matrix As The Main Distributor of Its Solutions and Services In Israel

Matrix, a leading systems integrator in Israel , announced that they been appointed by Red Hat as the main distributor of Red Hat Enterprise Linux solutions and services in the Israeli market. announced Natan Gavish, at a press conference held today at Beit Sokolov, with the participation of Alex Pinchev, president of international operations at Red Hat, who came to Israel for the announcement. Following the announcement, Matrix will shortly be offering Red Hat's services and solutions to organizations working in a Unix environment.

Red Hat is the leading provider of open source solutions to the enterprise. Red Hat's solutions include the Red Hat Enterprise Linux family, as well as Red Hat Network for systems management. The company's services include global consulting services, an international training program and service and support in more than 90 countries.

At a recent press conference Natan Gavish, senior VP Marketing and manager of the software products division at Matrix, said: "We welcome the strategic entry of Red Hat into the Israeli market and are proud that the company has chosen Matrix as its main distribution channel in this market. By leveraging Red Hat Enterprise solutions and services in Israel, Matrix is able to set up a broad network of services and personnel for organizations working in a Linux environment. We believe that we can help make Red Hat's source solutions successful, consistent with their dominant position around the world, and just as we have done with the solutions from PeopleSoft, Business Objects, BMC Software, Ascential Software, Compuware and others."

Gavish estimates that the Red Hat activities will produce a business volume of some $2 million in 2004 for Matrix.

"Matrix has marked out the field of Linux among organizations working in a Unix environment as a strategic sphere of activity for the company in 2004", says Gavish, and adds: "Matrix has identified the growth in Linux and is responding to the increasing demand for technological applications in this environment. We have already been involved for a number of years with Red Hat training."

"Red Hat has set itself the target of increasing its operations in the international arena and entry into Israel is part of the process of expanding our global activities," said Alex Pinchev, President of international operations at Red Hat. "Red Hat has identified the growth in the field of Linux in the Israeli market and has therefore decided formally to enter this market. We have chosen to do so with Matrix, a strong and well-established company with a proven reputation in marketing software products, introducing and implementing technologies and carrying out projects. We believe that Matrix has the ability and the infrastructure to strengthen the Linux system and open code software in Israel."

"Red Hat is considered to be the world's leading distributor of Linux," said Pini Cohen, a senior analyst at Meta Group. "This step by Matrix is of the greatest importance, both in terms of establishing Linux in Israel, and also for Matrix itself, capturing a place of honor in the developing field of support and supplementary services."

Cohen noted that in the opinion of Meta Group Israel, the size of the support and supplementary services market for Linux in Israel, which includes installation, support and training is still limited by comparison with the rest of the world and it is expected to grow at a significant rate, to a volume of over $30 million in 2007.

About Matrix

Matrix, which employs around 1,800 IT professionals, is one of the most advanced information technology companies in Israel. Matrix implements integration projects which are among the largest in the market, develops and markets software technologies and products for business systems, provides infrastructure and consulting services, carries out outsourcing contracts, training and assimilation, and imports, represents and markets the world's leading software products, hardware solutions and IT infrastructures. Matrix customers include hundreds of the leading entities and companies in Israel in the fields of industry, commerce, banking and finance, security, health and the government and public sectors. The company's annual sales turnover is NIS 800 million. Matrix is traded on the Tel Aviv stock exchange.

Contacts

Matrix

Sarit Aviram Rosenthal, 09-9598898

Allmedia

Oren Basson, 03-9235908 or 052-430384

Red Hat

Leigh Day, 919-754-3700 ext. 44369