Novell and Microsoft Play Dirty Against Red Hat (Again)

Dr. Roy Schestowitz

2008-06-23 11:12:17 UTC
Modified: 2008-06-23 11:12:17 UTC

The Rat Pack: Anti-Red Pact and Anti-Hat Pack

Var Guy warned about this in advance and we finally saw it materialising in Boston just a few days ago. Novell is truly resorting to what one reporter has called "dirty tricks" against Red Hat. Although we believed we had seen the worst of it, there's this new observation also.

Having pointed out the cheeky banner that Novell hung outside rival Red Hat's annual conference in Boston, I later found out from Red Hat's chief executive Jim Whitehurst that Novell also put a "big sticker" on the floor outside too but Red Hat managed to get it removed.

Well surprise, surprise, I got an email today from Novell with a nice image of the sticker in question and what a sticker – it must be twenty feet across – I wouldn’t like to have on the crew that had to lay that let alone remove it.

You can watch the photo in this short article. At the same time, Microsoft attacks Red Hat from another direction. Having 'stolen' XenSource, using its partner Citrix, Microsoft is moving on to a "Get the Facts" not only against Red Hat servers (they now have a 'comparison' page) but also against virtualisation with Red Hat.

Microsoft Produces New Perspective Over Windows vs. Linux

Microsoft has never been that shy about trashing open source operating systems in order to boost its own proprietary platforms, and the latest perspective over the two products is merely a new chapter in the Windows vs. Linux saga. A Microsoft authored comparison involving Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V and Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 Hypervisor is available for download via the Redmond company's Windows Server Compare.

As many observers know by now, Novell and Microsoft are creating an exclusive 'virtualisation club' where a warped and twisted 'Linux' is the only invited guest (taxed by Microsoft, too). It's important to put an end to the Microsoft/Novell relationship or at least disengage from doing business with both. ⬆

Comments

PitaGuy

2008-06-23 12:20:13

this is really sick that novell started playing dirty !!! wtf attacking a linux vendor. I have never seen such disruption is community. this is the first time i know of that a linux vendor is attacking each other. whats next ubuntu and debian ?? where is the community spirit !!! ????
Ian

2008-06-23 12:37:47

In the grand scheme of things, the sticker is amusing. If and when red hat retaliates in kind, I'll probably find that amusing too.
Victor Soliz

2008-06-23 19:51:42

Well it is clear to me Novell prefer to be friends with MS, a company that they have admitted (and actually brag) they have become dependent to rather than with red hat or the rest of the FLOSS world which probably wouldn't make their objectives easy to fulfill in the short and middle term.
Roy Schestowitz

2008-06-23 19:56:39

Yes, that key observation has been made and documented as proof for over a year. At the very start (shortly after the deal) Novell was apologetic. Now it's just attacking 'on behalf' of Microsoft so long as it gets a penny.

Weeks ago:

"Our partnership with Microsoft continues to expand."
--Ron Hovsepian, Novell CEO

Imagine him saying that in 2006.

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Novell and Microsoft Play Dirty Against Red Hat (Again)

Microsoft Produces New Perspective Over Windows vs. Linux

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