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IBM, Novell, Red Hat and Ubuntu have agreed to work with distribution partners around the world to build Linux-based PCs preloaded with open-source applications by 2009.

The PCs will feature IBM's Open Collaboration Client Solution, which includes Lotus Notes, Symphony and Sametime, as well as an operating system from one of the distributors.

The final products will be branded by the local IT firms that bring them to market.

"The slow adoption of Vista among businesses and budget-conscious chief information officers, coupled with the proven success of a new type of Microsoft-free PC in every region, provides an extraordinary window of opportunity for Linux," says Kevin Cavanaugh, vice president for IBM Lotus Software.

"We'll work to unlock the desktop to save our customers money and give freedom of choice."