Novell has launched a new Web service called SUSE Studio that simplifies the process of building Linux-based software appliances. It provides a convenient interface for creating custom versions of Novell's SUSE Linux distribution with specialized configurations. The service is part of Novell's broader SUSE Appliance Program initiative.

Novell is preparing to launch an app store called SUSE Gallery. It's designed to help partners and customers find SUSE Linux software appliances that fulfill specific business application needs. Plus, SUSE Gallery effort shows signs that Novell and VMware will continue their joint attack on Red Hat. Here's the scoop.

Novell (NSDQ: NOVL) on Wednesday launched SUSE Linux Enterprise 11, with the capability for policy-driven system management and enhancements to its high-availability clustering.

At the end of July, Novell launched SUSE Studio, which it calls a "simple and fast appliance builder". It provides a free and easy-to-use, web-based user interface to roll your own customized (SUSE) Linux distribution. The resulting image can be deployed on bare metal or as a virtual appliance on a hypervisor.

We’re pleased to report that industry accolades for SUSE Studio and the SUSE Appliance Program continue to roll in, as the industry recognizes the innovation and benefits of software appliances. Finalists were announced today for the 2010 American Business Awards (a.k.a. the Stevies) and Novell has been honored for both offerings.

Novell has announced the launch of the SUSE Appliance Program for Independent Software Vendors (ISVs). With the Appliance Program, ISVs can can create software appliances, such as an email server for a small office, using SUSE Linux Enterprise or openSUSE and SUSE Studio, test their appliances and get them to the market.

It has been a few months since Novell launched the SUSE Appliance program. So we checked in with Novell to see how the effort was going so far.

IBM is to use Novell SUSE powered software appliances to deliver some of its range of applications to customers

To date, Novell has had strong usage of its online SUSE Studio Linux appliance development service, with over 250,000 software appliances built. Even with that success, Novell (NASDAQ: NOVL) sees a need to expand the effort with a new SUSE Appliance Toolkit providing an on-premises version of SUSE Studio, as well as a new Lifecycle Management Server to manage appliance updates.