Red Hat Partner Programs for Independent Software Vendors (ISVs)

Transcription

1 Red Hat Partner Programs for Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) Abstract This white paper provides an overview of the Software Partner programs available from Red Hat, and the guidelines for certifying software on Red Hat Enterprise Linux. This document is updated as of 7/21/2004. Copyright 2003 Red Hat, Inc.

2 Table of Contents The Open Source Architecture...3 Red Hat's Partner Levels...4 Red Hat Ready Partner Program...5 Program Benefits...5 Program Requirements...5 Program Add-Ons...6 Red Hat Advanced Partner Program...7 Program Benefits...7 Program Requirements...8 Partner Qualifications...9 Program Add-Ons...9 Multiple Products, One Certification...10 Software Certification Guidelines...10 Technical Requirements...10 Business Requirements...10 Certification/Red Hat Ready Expiration...11 Red Hat Software Partners 2

3 The Open Source Architecture Red Hat is the recognized leader for Linux and open source solutions for the Enterprise. With a growing set of loyal customers, a strong brand name, and a healthy, profitable business, Red Hat is the best partner to help you take your Linux related hardware, software or services to market with. While Enterprise Linux is the largest business today, Red Hat is expanding its leadership position in the market with new products and services based on the Open Source Architecture (OSA), a vision of the future of IT based on open standards and interoperability. While Red Hat is looking to provide key parts of the OSA, the success of this vision is largely dependent on strong partnerships with software vendors, hardware vendors, and service providers. Take a look at the diagram of the OSA below... chances are, there is a place where your company can plugin and benefit from a close alignment with Red Hat. Red Hat Software Partners 3

4 Red Hat's Partner Levels Red Hat has a strong set of go-to-market partners, from market leaders to startups. Generally, Red Hat's Premier Partners are market leading firms who have forged a strategic and unique relationship with Red Hat. Red Hat Advanced Partners are market leaders who have demonstrated a strong commitment to helping build Red Hat's business. In return for that commitment, Red Hat Advanced Partners get access to valuable resources directly from Red Hat. Red Hat Ready Partners are a broad and diverse set of IT vendors that have committed to support Red Hat's Enterprise strategy through certification and support of their products on Red Hat Enterprise Linux. In exchange, Red Hat seeks to provide valuable branding, marketing, and sometimes technical resources to help these partners grow their Linux-related business. Depending on your level of commitment and the size of your firm, there is certainly a Red Hat partner program that can help you take advantage of the dramatic shift to Linux happening right now in enterprise computing. On the following pages, you will learn more about Red Hat's specific partner programs for Independent Software Vendors: Red Hat Ready, Red Hat Advanced, and Red Hat Premier. Red Hat Software Partners 4

5 Red Hat Ready Partner Program The Red Hat Ready program is the easiest way to align with Red Hat and is designed to allow software vendors to test and qualify their applications on Red Hat Enterprise Linux. This program is a key step in the further establishment of Red Hat Enterprise Linux as a standard platform for enterprise computing. Customers who choose to deploy Red Hat Ready applications can be assured the software has been tested on the latest versions of Red Hat Enterprise Linux by the ISV, and is compliant with Red Hat's guidelines for interoperability. Red Hat Ready program participants are required to test their applications for compatibility with Red Hat Enterprise Linux. These applications are then added to Red Hat's Online Solution Catalog, at The Red Hat Ready program is a great place for most ISVs to begin a relationship with Red Hat. Sign-up now, by going to: Program Benefits 1. Co-branding: Use of the Red Hat Ready logo, to be displayed in conjunction with marketing certified software. 2. Press Release review: Red Hat will review press releases announcing Red Hat Enterprise Linux support. 3. Worldwide Exposure on redhat.com: Listing in the Red Hat Solutions Catalog, at 4. Access to additional Marketing Opportunities: From time-to-time, Red Hat will make marketing opportunities available to Red Hat Ready partners to join Red Hat in marketing solutions based on Red Hat Enterprise Linux. 5. Access to Red Hat Enterprise Linux: By joining the additional Red Hat Developer Connection ( you can get free access to Red Hat Enterprise Linux for development purposes. Alternatively, the $299 Standard Developer Subscription gives you access to 5 copies of any version of Red Hat Enterprise Linux for any hardware architecture, with one year of Red Hat Network maintenance. Make sure to join the Red Hat Developer Connection when you join the Red Hat Ready program. Program Requirements The Red Hat Ready program has the following requirements: 1. Logo Use: ISV must display the Red Hat Ready logo when marketing applications as Red Hat Ready. 2. Software Certification Guidelines: ISV must support software according to the Software Certification Guidelines (see Red Hat Certification Guidelines section, below). In the enrollment process, the ISV will be asked to agree to these guidelines. 3. Program Fee: Today, there is no fee to join this program. Red Hat Software Partners 5

6 Program Add-Ons Many Red Hat Ready software partners also take advantage of products and services from Red Hat like: 1. Developer Support: An inexpensive way to get support for your software developers directly from Red Hat. Includes Linux development advice and GNU-based programming tools assistance. If you are developing applications and want to make sure you can get questions answered, this offering is for you. Find out more at: 2. Premium Developer Support: Similar to Developer Support, but supports more developers, has an unlimited number of incidents and includes a primary point of contact for a consisten interface into Red Hat support. Find out more at: 3. Red Hat Developer Connection: Provides access to Red Hat Enterprise Linux for development purposes. Find out more at: 4. Red Hat Developer Training: Red Hat's developer courses are designed to rapidly teach key concepts and skills essential to programming and software development for Linux-based applications and products. If you are trying to get your development team up-to-speed on Linux, Red Hat can help you get there. Find out more at: Red Hat Software Partners 6

7 Red Hat Advanced Partner Program The Red Hat Advanced Software Partner program creates opportunities for ISVs to increase revenue opportunities, get solutions to market faster, and to attain certification for their applications on Red Hat Enterprise Linux. By joining the Red Hat Advanced Software Partner program, ISVs can bring to bear a variety of Red Hat resources, including Red Hat's market leadership and brand, to bring software applications to the Linux market. The Red Hat Advanced Software Partner program is a strategic partnership with Red Hat, so it is only available by invitation from Red Hat to the market leaders in each application category (see the partner qualifications section below for more detailed information on how to qualify). A viable partnership includes a market opportunity, a joint product or service matching that opportunity, and a strategy to market, sell, and service the joint offering. Therefore, the Red Hat Advanced Software Partner program includes benefits centered around three key components: access to Red Hat technology, joint marketing initiatives, and joint support assurance. Together, Red Hat and its Red Hat Advanced Software Partners develop, market, sell, and deliver comprehensive software solutions. The greatest benefit of this program, however, is that customers who choose to deploy Red Hat Certified applications have the assurance the software has been tested on the latest versions of Red Hat Enterprise Linux and is compliant with Red Hat's guidelines for interoperability. Program Benefits The Red Hat Advanced Software Partner program provides the following benefits: 1. Co-branding: Use of the Red Hat Advanced Partner logo. Additionally, Advanced Partners can use the Red Hat Certified Logo, to be displayed in conjunction with marketing certified Software 2. Press Release: Red Hat will provide a quote and assistance with press releases announcing Red Hat Enterprise Linux support 3. Worldwide Exposure on redhat.com: Logo and company information on Red Hat's partner site, plus an Advanced Partner listing in Red Hat's official Solutions Catalog, at 4. Red Hat Support Assurance: Assurance that Red Hat will support customers using the vendor's certified software, and provide warm hand-offs to Advanced Software partners using standard contacts specified by the partner 5. Marketing Collaboration: Red Hat will work with ISV to jointly develop a standard Red Hat Certified whitepaper, including reference customers and performance and sizing information (where applicable) to be posted on-line and jointly delivered to customers 6. Red Hat Marketing Dollars: $10,000 allocated marketing budget for initial Red Hat Software Partners 7

8 joint marketing activities 7. Red Hat training: 30 Red Hat Training Units for any Red Hat training course (enough to get 3 full RHCE certifications) Access to quarterly training webcast for partner sales/support personnel (limited availability) 15% discount on all additional training (on-site or open enrollment) 8. Red Hat Enterprise Roadmap: Access to Red Hat's confidential product plans, including quarterly technology roadmaps 9. Developer Support Discount: 15% discount on Red Hat's ISV Developer Support or Premium Developer Support/Technical Account Management offerings Additionally, Red Hat Advanced Software Partners receive everything needed to maintain their software certifications over time, including: 5 Standard Subscriptions (25 systems) to the Red Hat Developer Connection: maintained subscriptions for development purposes. Red Hat Network Proxy: manage your 25 systems through Red Hat Network Proxy. 15% discount on additional copies of Red Hat Enterprise Linux AS, ES, or WS for development purposes, excluding the Developer Subscriptions. Participation in Red Hat's Enterprise Linux Beta release program (when available). Membership in the Red Hat Advanced Software Partner program is for one year, and each partner must renew their membership annually to maintain certification of software. Program Requirements The Red Hat Advanced Software Partner program has the following requirements: 1. Reference Customers: ISV must provide 3 Fortune 1000 reference customers within 3 months of release of the Certified applications 2. Joint Whitepaper: ISV must collaborate with Red Hat in the creation of a joint whitepaper, highlighting Certified Applications, Red Hat Enterprise Linux and the 3 reference customers mentioned above 4. Logo Use: ISV must display the Red Hat Certified logo when marketing applications as Red Hat Certified 5. Software Certification Guidelines: ISV must certify software according to the Software Certification Guidelines (as outlined later in this whitepaper) 6. Program Fee: $50k annually. Red Hat Software Partners 8

9 Partner Qualifications ISVs interested in joining the Red Hat Advanced Software Partner program must exhibit leadership in their respective markets. Red Hat will make the final determination of eligibility, which will largely be determined by the following qualifications: at least $100 million dollars in annual revenue, top 3 market share in respective application category (example categories: business intelligence, collaboration, systems management, security, finance, etc.), relevance to Red Hat strategic direction, relationships with other Red Hat partners. Program Add-Ons Many Red Hat Advanced software partners also take advantage of products and services from Red Hat like: 1. Developer Support: An inexpensive way to get support for your software developers directly from Red Hat. Includes Linux development advice and GNU-based programming tools assistance. If you are developing applications and want to make sure you can get questions answered, this offering is for you. Find out more at: 2. Premium Developer Support: Similar to Developer Support, but supports more developers, has an unlimited number of incidents and includes a primary point of contact for a consisten interface into Red Hat support. Find out more at: 3. *Note for Red Hat Advanced Partners: If you are a Red Hat Advanced Partner, you can get a substantial discount on Premium Developer Support, AND you may escalate customer issues through your Primary Point of Contact. This is a great way to get a joint support relationship with Red Hat established. 4. Red Hat Developer Connection: Provides access to Red Hat Enterprise Linux for development purposes. Find out more at: 5. Red Hat Developer Training: Red Hat's developer courses are designed to rapidly teach key concepts and skills essential to programming and software development for Linux-based applications and products. If you are trying to get your development team up-to-speed on Linux, Red Hat can help you get there. Find out more at: Red Hat Software Partners 9

10 Multiple Products, One Certification All members of the Red Hat Hat Enterprise Linux product family share a common core (e.g. kernel, development tool-chain, and libraries), allowing software vendors to certify their software once for a single architecture. In fact, Red Hat will list all certified software as Certified for Red Hat Enterprise Linux (for a specific version number and specific architecture). As Intel x86 and Intel Itanium 2 are two separate architectures, they would each require a separate certification. Software Certification Guidelines One of Red Hat's top goals for establishing the Enterprise Linux family of products is to have a standard platform for software and hardware vendor certifications. This is a benefit for both customers and technology vendors. Red Hat has established a set of guidelines, common to both the Red Hat Certified and Red Hat Ready Application programs, that vendors should follow in order to establish that their products are interoperable with Red Hat Enterprise Linux, and remain interoperable over the life of the OS and the application. Red Hat does not guarantee interoperability; nor does Red Hat provide any support for 3rd party applications, unless specified in other agreements. Red Hat reserves the right to change these requirements without notice. Technical Requirements To obtain Red Hat Ready or Certified status, the following technical requirements must be met: 1. Applications must not modify, replace, or recompile existing OS infrastructure (including but not limited to the OS kernel, C library and other system libraries, compiler, etc.). 2. Applications must not install into filesystem locations reserved by the OS as outlined in the Filesystem Hierarchy Standard, which is a part of the Linux Standards Base 1.2. Specifically, 3rd party software should install to a subdirectory of /opt. For more information, go to: 3. Applications should use RPM as the method of distribution and installation. This is not a requirement, but Red Hat customers prefer it for overall system management and integration into existing OS tools. If the RPM method is not used, vendor must notify Red Hat with a valid reason for the exception. Business Requirements Additionally, to obtain Red Hat Ready or Certified status, the following business requirements must be met: Red Hat Software Partners 10

11 1. Application vendor must confirm that specified versions of Red Hat Enterprise Linux are supported platforms, which means that customers who choose to deploy the application on the target Red Hat Enterprise Linux platform will be able to receive usual and customary support from the application vendor (analogous to the support options available on other operating systems). 2. Application vendor must agree to support their product generally on the target Red Hat Enterprise Linux version, without specificity of package versions (such as kernel versions). This means that vendors must support both general bug and security errata as soon as commercially practicable and no longer than 30 days after release of the errata through Red Hat Network. Additionally, application vendors must support substantive Kernel modifications as soon as commercially practicable but no more than 30 days after release of the errata through Red Hat Network. 3. Application vendor must not actively recommend to customers any changes or patches to the Red Hat Enterprise Linux platform that would void a standard Red Hat Enterprise Linux support contract. Examples of changes that would void a standard support contract are: modification, replacement, or recompilation of existing OS infrastructure (including but not limited to the OS kernel, C library and other system libraries, compiler, etc.). After all technical and business guidelines have been met and all materials have been submitted to Red Hat for review, Red Hat will review and, in its sole discretion, make a final determination of certification status. Certification/Red Hat Ready Expiration Once Software is certified/deemed Red Hat Ready on a particular version of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (e.g. v2.1 or v3), the Software remains Certified until: 1. Red Hat no longer supports that version of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (typically 5 years from release). When Red Hat ceases to support a version of Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Software is no longer certified for that version. 2. The ISV ceases participation in the Red Hat Certified Partner or Red Hat Ready program. To maintain a Software certification, an ISV must maintain its annual membership in the Red Hat Certified Partner or Red Hat Ready program in order to maintain the support relationship between Red Hat and the ISV. Red Hat Software Partners 11