Channel Insider Names Red Hat Enterprise Linux 2008 Product of the Year

Red Hat pulls in top honor in Server Operating Systems category above Sun Microsystems Solaris 10 and Novell SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10 SPI

RALEIGH, CAROLINE DU NORD -

Red Hat, Inc. (NYSE: RHT), the world's leading provider of open source solutions, today announced that Channel Insider has named Red Hat Enterprise Linux the top server operating system in its 2008 Product of the Year awards. Winners exemplify attributes of high importance to the channel including value, support and profit potential. Red Hat Enterprise Linux is the leading platform for open source computing, coupling the innovation of open source technology and the stability of a true enterprise-class platform.

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As the winner in the Server Operating Systems category, Red Hat Enterprise Linux was selected by an elite group of value added resellers (VARs) that sell a range of solutions and vary in size. Channel Insider polled the VARs to rank products based on criteria, including familiarity with the product, opportunity for after-market sales, product profit potential, impact of the product on the technology market as a whole and the product vendor's service and support. Second place and third place in the Server Operating Systems category behind Red Hat Enterprise Linux were awarded to Sun Microsystems Solaris 10 and Novell SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10 SPI respectively.

"We continue to see strong interest for Red Hat Enterprise Linux as a cost-effective solution that provides value and drives growth on a budget without compromising capability," said Chris Pyle, president and CEO of Champion Solutions Group, a Red Hat Advanced Business Partner. "We appreciate that Red Hat continues to invest in the channel, allowing us to better meet our customers' needs."

Channel sales provided 54 percent of Red Hat's revenue in its fiscal quarter ending February 29, 2008, and the company doubled its business through traditional channels including VARs and system integrators during its fiscal year ending on that date. Red Hat has also more than doubled the number of its Advanced Business Partners in the last year. Advanced Business Partners receive direct access to Red Hat sales, pre-sales, support and marketing staff, as well as other substantial benefits to enable rapid growth of the partners' Linux and open source solutions portfolio.

"We are very honored to receive the award for best server operating system given the depth of expertise Channel Insider provides professionals in the channel community," said Mark Enzweiler, vice president, North America channels at Red Hat. "We continue to focus on becoming a channel-centric company and are seeing increased sales across the channel for Red Hat Enterprise Linux and JBoss Enterprise Middleware solutions."

Recently, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 was recognized by SearchEnterpriseLinux.com as Product of the Year in the Linux Server Distributions category for leadership in virtualization. The operating system was also recognized as a 2008 Product of the Year by Datamation in the Enterprise Linux category, and was named Best Open Source Solution in the 2008 SIIA Codie Awards.

To view the full list of winners across all 32 categories in the Channel Insider Product of the Year awards , please visit http://www.channelinsider.com/c/a/News/2008-Channel-Products-of-the-Year/.

For more news about Red Hat, visit www.redhat.com. For more news, more often, visit www.press.redhat.com.

About Red Hat, Inc.

Red Hat, the world's leading open source solutions provider, is headquartered in Raleigh, NC with over 50 satellite offices spanning the globe. CIOs have ranked Red Hat first for value in Enterprise Software for four consecutive years in the CIO Insight Magazine Vendor Value study. Red Hat provides high-quality, affordable technology with its operating system platform, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, together with applications, management and Services Oriented Architecture (SOA) solutions, including the JBoss Enterprise Middleware Suite. Red Hat also offers support, training and consulting services to its customers worldwide. Learn more: http://www.redhat.com.

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  • About Red Hat
  • Red Hat is the world’s leading provider of open source software solutions, using a community-powered approach to reliable and high-performing cloud, Linux, middleware, storage and virtualization technologies. Red Hat also offers award-winning support, training, and consulting services. As the connective hub in a global network of enterprises, partners, and open source communities, Red Hat helps create relevant, innovative technologies that liberate resources for growth and prepare customers for the future of IT. Learn more at http://www.redhat.com.



  • Forward-Looking Statements
  • Certain statements contained in this press release may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements provide current expectations of future events based on certain assumptions and include any statement that does not directly relate to any historical or current fact. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including: risks related to delays or reductions in information technology spending; the effects of industry consolidation; the ability of the Company to compete effectively; the integration of acquisitions and the ability to market successfully acquired technologies and products; uncertainty and adverse results in litigation and related settlements; the inability to adequately protect Company intellectual property and the potential for infringement or breach of license claims of or relating to third party intellectual property; the ability to deliver and stimulate demand for new products and technological innovations on a timely basis; risks related to data and information security vulnerabilities; ineffective management of, and control over, the Company’s growth and international operations; fluctuations in exchange rates; and changes in and a dependence on key personnel, as well as other factors contained in our most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (copies of which may be accessed through the Securities and Exchange Commission’s website at http://www.sec.gov), including those found therein under the captions "Risk Factors" and "Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations". In addition to these factors, actual future performance, outcomes, and results may differ materially because of more general factors including (without limitation) general industry and market conditions and growth rates, economic and political conditions, governmental and public policy changes and the impact of natural disasters such as earthquakes and floods. The forward-looking statements included in this press release represent the Company’s views as of the date of this press release and these views could change. However, while the Company may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, the Company specifically disclaims any obligation to do so. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing the Company’s views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.