SUSE Linux Enterprise 12 Service Pack 2 has been in Beta stages of development until today, but users can now finally update their SP1 (Service Pack 1) installations and receive all the latest GNU/Linux and Open Source technologies announced lately, some of which will also be implemented in the upcoming openSUSE Leap 42.2 OS, due for release on November 16, 2016. Prominent features of SUSE Linux Enterprise 12 Service Pack 2 include I/O performance improvements, high-performance data analytics support on IBM Power Systems LC and OpenPOWER servers, better support for deployment of SAP applications, new “skip service packs” functionality for upgrading directly to Service Pack 2, better downtime for large-memory IBM POWER-based systems, as well as support for ARMv8-A and Intel’s scalable Omni-Path architecture.