Microsoft has intentionally rendered unsafe all but one path to heterogeneity — that being the use of Novell’s SLES (Suse Linux Enterprise Server) in networks with Windows. By immunising Novell against future intellectual property actions, Microsoft has tacitly notified other players in commercialised open source that Microsoft sets the rules for Windows interoperability from now on.
Novell is expanding its Zenworks software line-up to span from the desktop to the datacentre, unveiling three new products and an update to another tool.
Microsoft and Novell have wasted little time in demonstrating there is real work being done as part of their recent Linux interoperability pact. Just a month after the historic deal between the companies was signed, Novell says it will support the proprietary document format in Microsoft Office 2007, Open XML, in its open-source version of the OpenOffice productivity suite due out in January.
The landmark technology collaboration agreement between Microsoft and Novell that was announced earlier this month took a controversial twist when Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer later proclaimed that Linux customers have “an undisclosed balance sheet liability” because Linux “uses our intellectual property”. Novell CEO Ron Hovsepian provided his views on the ensuing controversy, along with a behind-the-scenes account of how the agreement was reached, in an interview with Computerworld US Editor in chief Don Tennant.
The partnership between Microsoft and Novell has raised as many questions as it has provided answers. That’s a shame, because some of those questions should have been put to rest long ago.
Following on the heels of its “Unfakeable Linux” rebuttal to the recent incursion by Oracle into its core Linux support business, Red Hat has called the new alliance between rivals Microsoft and Novell “unthinkable” — but still spun it as a victory for all Linux vendors.
The Accident Compensation Corporation will roll out a pilot of its new $130 million claims management system at its Wellington branch and contact centre this month. A nationwide roll out is planned for February and March.
Novell and Microsoft chief executives Ron Hovsepian and Steve Ballmer today announced a wide-ranging interoperability deal that will allow the companies' Linux and Windows platforms to work together.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is migrating from Novell to Microsoft for its back-end systems, following the lead of many other government agencies.
Red Hat has pushed out the first public beta of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5, an upgrade to its operating system that includes virtualisation technologies intended to help companies get more use from their hardware.
OpenSUSE 10.1 — Novell’s attempt to keep a general-purpose version of its Linux freely available to the open source community — is both aided by and suffers from the lack of attention from Novell.
Enterprise Linux customers typically pick from just two options. Although HP’s decision to support Debian could widen the playing field, the choice really comes down to Novell and Red Hat. It’s worth comparing the two in terms of product offerings and overall style.
Novell’s desktop solution costs up to 70% less to operate than the equivalent Microsoft products, says Open Systems Specialists, which resells the solution.
Is it fair to say that you’ve been frustrated the past couple of years riding shotgun, and not being in the driver’s seat?
Novell president and chief operating officer Ron Hovsepian sees the acquisition of the JBoss application server by Red Hat as having “further validated our early adoption of JBoss.”