05.31.07

At least 9,000 More Coupons (Quietly) Distributed

Posted in Deals, Humour, Marketing, Microsoft, Novell, SLES/SLED at 8:40 pm by Shane Coyle

In an article that is extremely bullish on Novell’s upside post-Microsoft, an analyst from JMP Securities disclosed that there have been a total of 49,000 SUSE Coupons distributed to date:

Though there have been worries that the duo’s deal—which critics say protects only Novell customers from Microsoft patent lawsuits—would be bad for Linux, it certainly seems to have been good for Novell.

“Novell suggested that it continued to see SUSE coupons distributed through its Microsoft channel, suggesting total certificates activated have risen to 49,000 from 40,000 at the time of its prior disclosure,” Mr. Fish said.

And at the Open Source Business Conference last week, Novell marketing director Justin Steinman said that thanks to “Microsoft’s sales force,” more users than ever were moving to Linux.

Nice one, Justin – perhaps the best line of the whole deal, so far. Of course, I don’t think he meant it the way I read it.

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3 Comments

Roy Schestowitz said,

May 31, 2007 at 8:49 pm

I spotted this one yesterday @ http://www.newratings.com/analyst_news/article_1541033.html

What happens when the coupons run out and “Microsoft’s sales force” is no longer there? Only hours ago, another analyst said that Novell is too Microsoft-dependent. Isn’t that what history has warned us about? Microsoft uses deals to control its to-be-prey. Just look at Corel:

http://boycottnovell.com/2007/02/12/novell-corel-look-back/
gpl1 said,

June 1, 2007 at 12:42 am

I don’t know if you’ve read the 1999 Caldera DR-DOS statements of facts in their antitrust suit against Microsoft, but it’s a very interesting read: http://www.maxframe.com/DR/Info/fullstory/factstat.html

My favorite quote (this is after Novell acquired DRI and DR-DOS, before they sold it to Lineo/Caldera/Canopy, and MS was refusing to give DRI needed APIs for Windows to implement on top of DR-DOS)—-

”
Silverberg:

You’ll enjoy this. We just got from Novell a proposal for a new project:

“Under this Development Project, known as Corvette, Microsoft will license EMM386 and HIMEM memory managers in their Source Code to Novell and will provide technical support to Novell in Novell’s effort to make DR-DOS compatible with all current and future version of Microsoft Windows 3.1 and Windows NT.”

Cole:

I’m rolling on the ground laughing . . . . .

Barrett:

And I thought them Utah folks were drug free . . .

Allchin:

I hate them.
“
Roy Schestowitz said,

June 1, 2007 at 1:37 am

Right before that it states:

“217. The tactic worked so well, in fact, that Novell approached Microsoft towards the conclusion of the Windows 3.1 beta program with the proposal for a cooperative outlook in the future. Microsoft’s arrogance was astounding…”

I also suggest that you see some of the Comes vs Microsoft memos. Here are just a few more examples:

http://boycottnovell.com/2007/04/02/nat-friedman-interview/
http://boycottnovell.com/2007/03/19/novell-iowa-antitrust/
http://boycottnovell.com/2007/03/04/happy-browsing-iowa/

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