Novell's dilemma: It's our main rival, but it's our partner as well. We're very confused.

It is no secret that Novell has become financially dependent on Microsoft. Novell has nobody but itself to blame because it has chosen to go down this route. Novell's salesman is also its foe, so it's the case of a fox watching the henhouse.

Stories which Novell's absurd situation has led to are numerous. Recall the time when Novell issued a joint press release where Windows is argued to be cheaper than LInux. That tactless inclusion of a statement goes back to the deal with HSBC. Don't forget Novell's 'salesman' (Microsoft), which contradicted Novell's own stance.

Here is a more recent story. It's not clear whether we cite a credible source or not, but there appears to be evidence which suggests that Novell's pro-Linux agenda has hit the conflict of interest due to the relationship with Microsoft. On the face of it, Novell is even willing to recommend Windows. That is sad (if true). To quote a witness:

"Novell tells Howard College that they must use Vista on their desktops with a SUSE Linux server. As any Linux user knows this is a lie and that Novell sold out to Microsoft anyway. So why should anyone listen to Novell any more? IBM, Dell, HP and other companies support Linux Servers because 90% of all servers run Linux. Colleges boycott Novell!"

You'll find some of the discussions (for context) in the following two consecutive items:

New Co-Host Justin Breithaupt / Microsoft forcing Rent Payments and KVM on Schools!

I just chatted with someone at a College in Big Spring, TX. He told me that they pay rent on Windows Vista.

Will Howard College in Big Spring, TX Choose Vista or Linux?

I have just been informed that they have used NetWare for 10 years at this college and are thinking about switching to the Linux side of Novell because of the machines they have. You can also send a direct link to this post to other colleges if you agree.

[...] [Comment]

I know that you are considering moving to Novell and SUSE Linux. This is a huge mistake. The reason is not because Linux is a bad program or interface but because Novell and SUSE have sided with Microsoft and are trying to direct people and money in Microsoft's Direction.

This could not be truer and it also relates to the previous post.

Nat Friedman, whom we criticised before for being too close to Microsoft, has the following point of view to share:

Linux desktop adoption is steadily increasing worldwide, but people don’t recognize this fact because there hasn’t been a big adoption surge, Friedman said.

For someone who is regularly labeled a "Microsoft apologist", this doesn't seems like an unusual statement. Nonetheless, it's slightly surprising. Maybe Novell has genuine plans for Linux, but why does it not develop Linux it on its own? It's a shame that Microsoft is part of these plans. It is sad that this losing party actually earns money no matter which product is chosen. Novell gets nothing from Windows sales. Microsoft earns money from SUSE. Who was the winner in this deal then?