Mumbai: IBM India () has announced that it has tied up with Benz Infotech as a Linux services and solution partner in India. IBM India''s tie-up with Benz Infotech will help the company deliver end-to-end Linux solution to customers in India.

In this capacity, Benz Infotech will offer customers, technical consultancy, technical support, quality assurance and complete turnkey solutions integrating their services with IBM e-servers and storage solutions, thereby reducing the time-to-market of their products and solutions.

Says IBM ASEAN/SA Linux business manager Sandeep Menon: "Stable, secure, scalable and powerful. Linux is one of the cornerstones of the on-demand operating environment. IBM is a recognised leader in the Linux community and the premier provider of end-to-end Linux solutions: Linux-ready hardware, software and support. Linux has brought open standards along with maximum availability and flexibility to e-business solutions. Our partnership with Benz Infotech will further strengthen our reach to customers in the Linux solutions space."

IBM will also leverage Benz Infotech''s Linux competency to support other partners in their Linux efforts for solution areas like high availability, high performance clustering, grid computing, server/network security solutions and VoIP. Benz Infotech is one of the very few companies in India that is exclusively promoting Linux enterprise server solutions in the country.

"We are happy to be associated with IBM, world leader in IT and a leading propagator of the open source movement, worldwide. The entire IBM e-server product line has been Linux enabled to provide the Linux e-business advantage to our customers'' business. The combination of IBM''s e-server range in association with the Linux technical support and consultancy provided by us should help increase customer confidence in adopting Linux-based servers in India," says Tony Raphael, executive director, Benz Infotech.

IBM has a dedicated team of professionals to promote Linux in India. The company has also forged partnerships with C-DAC, Red Hat and TurboLinux to offer Linux solutions to customers. The company has conducted Linux awareness programmes with industry bodies such as MAIT, in addition to numerous educational initiatives to promote Linux, such as: Linux University Program, Linux projects for students and Linux Scholar Challenge contest. IBM India also has a partnership with their sister firm, Benz Computers, for reselling its hardware.

IBM develops and manufactures the industry''s most advanced information technologies, including computer systems, software, networking systems, storage devices and microelectronics. IBM''s Systems Group offers customers worldwide the most comprehensive range of servers and storage products available today, available through IBM as well as a large network of IBM business partners. Beyond the breadth of the systems product line, IBM is integrating three key innovations across its servers and storage: Linux, autonomic computing and grid computing.

The Benz group, is a leading corporate in South India. From its humble beginning in 1978, Benz has grown as a professional multifaceted corporate, supported by 2,000-strong workforce distributed across the country.

The Benz group consists of Benz Infotech Consultancy Services, Benz Infotech Applications, Benz Infotech advanced Education, Benz Animation, Benz Computers, Benz Automobiles, Benz Motors, Benz Bi-wheelers, Benz Auto agencies and Benz Auto distributors. The group is headquartered at and operates from the Benz Towers, Edapally, Kochi, Kerala. It aims to break new grounds in standards of exemplary service leading to highly satisfied customers on IT.