Siemens to offer SuSE's range of Linux operating systems Siemens Business Services GmbH & Co. OHG (SBS), the IT service subsidiary of German electronics giant Siemens AG, has agreed to a sales partnership with Novell Inc.’s newly acquired open source software vendor, SuSE Linux AG, the companies said Tuesday.Under the deal, SBS will give SuSE “premier partner” status and offer the German vendor’s range of Linux operating system software products and services to customers across Europe.In return, SuSE will provide the Munich-based IT service provider access to its product development and technical support, from tendering through to implementation. Increasingly more customers have requested open source platforms in recent months, SBS said. The company, one of Europe’s largest IT service providers, reported sales in fiscal 2003 of around €5.2 billion (US$6 billion), of which more than 75 percent were generated outside the Siemens group.In November, Novell acquired SuSE, based in Nuremberg, Germany. Software DevelopmentTechnology IndustrySmall and Medium Business