Ritz Camera Selects Linux from Novell for In-Store Systems Nationwide

Leading camera retailer will run Novell on their cash registers across the country, increasing efficiency and improving distributed systems management

9 August 2005

Today, Novell announced that Ritz Camera, the largest camera and photography equipment retailer in North America, will use Linux* from Novell to run its in-store infrastructure. With 10,000 employees and more than 1,200 stores, Ritz Camera chose Linux from Novell because of Novell's robust utilities and tools, value-added Linux management, collaboration offerings and world class support capabilities. Ritz Camera anticipates increased efficiencies, significantly improved system management capabilities, and increased performance for their in-store systems.

“Ritz Camera has grown dramatically in recent years, in part through significant acquisitions, including Wolf Camera,” said Bob O'Hern, vice president of Information Systems at Ritz Camera. “We needed to upgrade our system to improve performance, while also gaining greater control over management and security. Novell's Linux platform, combined with their Linux management offering and enterprise-level support, were key differentiators for us.”

Ritz Camera will deploy Novell® Linux Desktop on cash registers across its network of retail stores, running a dedicated point-of-sale application on Linux. In addition, Ritz Camera will leverage Novell's resource management suite, ZENworks®, to provide seamless updates of the Linux operating system, as well as centralized patch management. To improve employee communication, Ritz Camera will deploy Novell NetMail®, a cross-platform Internet mail system designed for scalability and ease of use.

Ritz Camera Centers, headquartered in Beltsville, Md., is the largest retail camera and photo chain in the United States with approximately 1,200 locations in 45 states and the District of Columbia. The chain of stores now includes Ritz Camera, Wolf Camera, Kits Camera, Inkley’s and The Camera Shop. All stores have Big Print Central Departments offering both

traditional and digital prints “in minutes.” The Ritz Camera Centers, Inc. website, www.ritzpix.com, offers customers a one-hour printing and in-store pick-up service. Ritz Camera Centers, Inc. also owns and operates Boater’s World Marine Centers, a leading marine specialty retail chain with 114 stores nationwide.

“Linux is proving its value in increasingly diverse environments,” said Susan Heystee, president of Novell North America. “Performance, security and management are critical factors for retailers like Ritz Camera, a business that depends on constantly up and running systems. Ritz is a leader in understanding the value of open source technology, and we're thrilled to be their strategic partner.”

For more information on how customers are leveraging Linux from Novell, please visit http://www.novell.com/success/.

About Novell

Novell, Inc. (Nasdaq: NOVL) is a leading provider of infrastructure software and services to over 50,000 customers in 43 countries. With more than 20 years of experience in data center, workgroup and desktop solutions, Novell's 6,000 employees, 5,000 partners and support centers around the world are meeting customer requirements for identity-driven computing and Linux solutions. By providing enterprise-class software and support for commercial and open source software, Novell delivers increased operating flexibility and choice at a lower total cost of ownership. More information about Novell can be found at http://www.novell.com.

Novell, NetMail and ZENworks are registered trademarks of Novell, Inc. in the United States and other countries. *Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds. All other third-party trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

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