Bonum Certa Men Certa

Novell News Summary - Part II: SCO, GroupWise Migrations, Lots of Sentinel, and McAfee Partnership

Delicate arch



Summary: The remainder of Novell's news from this week

THIS IS the weekly post which deals with news about Novell's proprietary software. We shall begin with SCO.



SCO/UNIX



The only Web site to have covered the developments in SCO vs Novell is Groklaw. It published the following 3 posts:

i. SCO's mobile hopes

Does that sound like they know what the different mobile products are? Maybe they know, but it's not so clear to me. Is Me Inc now FCmobilelife? Or is Me Inc Mobile something entirely different? I thought SCO said Me Inc was a victim of the economy, but I don't know what that means for FCmobilelife. Is it flourishing? How would we know? Can anyone find a clue in the latest 10K, linked to above?


ii. SCO Motion for More Exclusivity Denied, the March MORs, and A Proposed Amicus in the Novell Appeal

In the appeal of SCO v. Novell, there are some events to note as well. There is a request to file an amicus brief by Wayne Gray. Yes, that Wayne Gray. The iNUX trademark guy. To help you contextualize, the Middle District of Florida's Tampa Division recently granted motions on summary judgment brought by X/Open and Novell in the Gray v. Novell et al iNUX/UNIX trademark litigation, tossing out all 11 claims in Gray's complaint.


iii. Clerk Signs Off on Novell's Costs In the Amount of $99,639.09

The Chief Deputy Clerk has signed off on Novell's bill of costs, payable by SCO, in the amount of $99,639.09:


Will Novell ever see a nickel? Novell owns UNIX and memories of Lotus return in this writing about Sun getting acquired (along with its UNIX assets that may be sensitive to Novell's wrath).

It's probably a little early to be looking for implications of Oracle buying Sun (no, it's official, here's the press release). They've only just confirmed it's happening, and as one of the journalists who covered Novell buying Lotus many years ago I can confirm things aren't done until they're done, frankly.


Going back to legacy, Novell is also mentioned as a (distant) past guest in "Let's Talk Computers." This time it's about Microsoft.

Virtualisation



The 'Microsoft press' has published an article where it mentions Novell. Repeating what we saw last week (mentioned previously in a similar context), Forrester Research, Novell and BlueLock are appearing together in a webinar about virtualisation.

From the Microsoft news platform, which treats everything but the Microsoft-controlled offers as secondary:

Balkansky skillfully danced around the question, saying that customers will want VMware's overall features and the maturity of its products more than they want XenServer or Hyper-V. He may be right -- VMware has the name and reputation, both well-deserved. But Citrix and Microsoft (along with Virtual Iron, Red Hat, Novell, IBM and so on) are building reputations in the business, too. And they're attacking VMware hard on price. Will the attacks take their toll? That's a great unknown now. In general, I like the fact that VMware is more seriously recognizing the lower end of the market, and targeting it with affordable options.


About the upcoming webinar:

Also, on Thursday, April 30th, rPath is hosting “Tackling the Last Mile of IT Process Automation,” a webinar presented with Forrester Research, Novell and BlueLock. Attendees will hear from industry experts on emerging approaches to automating "the last mile" of IT processes.


Also:

The webinar, sponsored by rPath, will focus on strategies for automating application deployment and maintenance across traditional, virtual and cloud environments. Experts from rPath, Forrester Research, Novell and BlueLock will provide a framework for understanding how the cloud works as the host for application deployment.


Mail



Novell is trying to gain GroupWise users at Microsoft's expense. There is a new migration route.

Novell yesterday announced a new promotion designed to help organizations move to Novell GroupWise 8 at a significantly reduced cost. Organizations currently using a competitor’s messaging platform can now exchange each existing competitor license for a free GroupWise 8 license. Customer who take advantage of this offer for their integrated collaboration environment will only be required to commit to one year of maintenance support for each user seat.


Here is the press release.

GWAVA, Novell's largest collaboration partner, in conjunction with other software vendors, announced today a worldwide event series that addresses the high cost of deploying complex collaboration solutions like Microsoft Exchange with Sharepoint or IBM Lotus Notes. This seminar series, developed for CTOs and Information Technology managers, also applies to organizations dependent on legacy software such as Tobit David, Sun One (formerly iPlanet) and other aging collaboration solutions. It focuses on the total cost of ownership on these platforms vs. migrating to GroupWise on Linux.


In a separate press release from Mirapoint, Novell's GroupWise was mentioned along many other possibilities for mail/groupware.

With the newly updated RazorSafe appliances, Mirapoint's customers may now choose from even more powerful solutions for meeting compliance regulations affecting businesses of all sizes. Its expanded RazorSafe 200, 400, and 6000 product line adds seamless integration with email clients including Microsoft Outlook, Lotus Notes, Novell GroupWise on top of existing web access, and supports all major email servers, including Microsoft Exchange, Novell GroupWise, Lotus Domino, and Mirapoint Message Server.


Identity/Management



Sentinel was in the headlines this week. It started with this press release about SAP certification.

Novell today announced that its Novell€® Sentinel™ 6.1 security information event management (SIEM) product has achieved SAP-certified integration with the SAP NetWeaver€® technology platform. For customers, the integration significantly reduces risk and cuts the costs of managing security because IT administrators can respond to critical situations as they occur.


This was also published lazily in CIOL under a different headline :

Novell has announced that its Novell Sentinel 6.1 security information event management (SIEM) product has achieved SAP-certified integration with the SAP NetWeaver technology platform.


See how the words change very subtly (compare with the original press release). It's junk. It's not journalism.

The bigger news for Sentinel was this about the Navy choosing it.

Novell announced that the U.S. Navy Cyber Defense Operations Command (NCDOC) has selected Novell(R) Sentinel(TM) to automate and centralize security monitoring across hundreds of diverse locations worldwide. With more than 700,000 users worldwide, NCDOC is one of several military cyber defense teams in the Department of Defense (DOD) and is responsible for around-the-clock protection of the Navy's computer networks.


A lot of coverage soon appeared, including:

i. Can you cut information security in hard times and survive

Based on Novell's Sentinel event management software, Prometheus keeps watch on the Navy's global network, used by more than 700,000 sailors and support staff. On a typical day, it handles anywhere between a few hundred thousand to several million alerts, leaving the 180 staff members charged with monitoring the network to deal with the real problems.


ii. Novell Sentinel To Interoperate With SAP NetWeaver

Novell Sentinel ties identities, systems and data together to deliver a centralised view of business operations through an automated process that can stop violations before they happen.


iii. Navy awards deal for cybersecurity support

The U.S. Navy has contracted Novell to support cybersecurity initiatives to help counter threats to naval computer networks.

Massachusetts-based Novell was awarded the contract from the Navy Cyber Defense Operations Command. According to a news release, Novell will supply its Sentinel technologies to "automate and centralize security monitoring across hundreds of diverse locations worldwide."


iv. Novell to secure US Navy networks

The platform integrates identity data with security event management, which facilitates the efficient monitoring of resources across geographically dispersed networks.


Here is some more coverage about ID management. It mentions Novell.

The two are listed among the Top 5 identity management vendors as judged by consulting firm Burton Group. IBM, CA and Novell are the other three.


There is a similar story about Oracle's impact on identity management now that it inherits Sun's portfolio.

Jonathan Penn, vice president with Cambridge, Mass.-based Forrester Research Inc., said that excluding strong authentication, which neither company has, the combined organization will have as much as 25% of the identity management software market, giving it No. 1 status, outpacing competitors such as IBM, CA Inc., Novell Inc. and Microsoft.

[...]

To that end, Penn said IBM, CA, Novell and Microsoft to a lesser extent will undoubtedly be poised to exploit opportunities among Sun's identity management customer base, sowing fear and uncertainty to try to poach customers.


On Information Card Foundation (ICF) from RSA:

Information Cards bring a familiar offline paradigm—the cards you carry in your wallet—to the online world. They work with a new software tool called a selector that operates as an extension to your Web browser. Selectors are available today from ICF members Azigo, Microsoft, and Novell, as well as from several open source projects.


ICF and Novell were mentioned in finextra.com as well, just a few days ago.

The Equifax I-Card is among the first commercial I-card-based products to launch from members of ICF, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to developing a simpler and more secure digital identity on the Internet. Led by Deutsche Telecom, Equifax, Google, Intel, Microsoft, Novell, Oracle PayPal and Parity, the ICF promotes the rapid build-out and adoption of Internet-enabled digital identities using information cards.


Storage



There is almost nothing here except for this:

Two days before, on April 14, Sun Microsystems rolled out its Open Network Systems plan, which also incorporates Intel’s Xeon 5500 chips—also known as Nehalem EP—as well as Sun’s own Solaris operating system, networking and storage technologies and integrated Flash memory capabilities.

Other vendors—from heavyweights such as IBM and Dell to Novell to newcomers such as Schooner Information Technology—also are moving in that direction.


Security



Speculations that Novell would buy McAfee may be far behind us, but those two companies have just announced a partnership:

Novell and McAfee, Inc. Announce Partnership to Deliver Stronger Security Policy Enforcement, Deeper Visibility into End-User Activity and Compliance Assurance for Enterprise Customer



[...]

At the RSA Conference 2009, Novell and McAfee, Inc. (NYSE: MFE) today announced a partnership that will enhance McAfee€® ePolicy Orchestrator€® (ePO™) with a holistic view of both network events and users. This combined approach will accelerate and pinpoint response to potential threats and provide administrators the much-needed ability to automatically enforce security and identity access-related policies, making it easy to prove compliance and ensure trusted access.


There is plenty of coverage, e.g.:

i. McAfee, Inc. Expands Security Innovation Alliance, Adds Systems Integrator Partner Category

There are eight new members that have joined the program as Associate Partners, including Authenex, Cryptotech, eIQnetworks, Novell, S21sec, Solidcore, Triumfant and Telos. Across North America and Europe, McAfee now has more than 55 SIA partners committed to helping customers drive operational savings with McAfee Compatible products.


ii. Novell and McAfee Tie Up to Enhance Interoperability

Novell and McAfee announced a strategic partnership that gives McAfee's ePolicy Orchestrator (ePO) solution users a holistic view of both network events and users. This combined approach reportedly allows real-time response to potential threats and provides administrators the much-needed ability to automatically enforce security and identity access-related policies, making it easy to prove compliance and ensure trusted access.


iii. Novell and McAfee Form Enterprise Security Alliance

Novell and McAfee have formed an alliance that will enable McAfee's ePolicy Orchestrator, ePO, enterprise security product customers to use Novell's Sentinel software to monitor and remediate network activity in real time to manage and mitigate business risk.


iv. McAfee, Novell Get Into Strategic Partnership

McAfee and Novell recently announced a strategic partnership, which would give McAfee’s ePolicy Orchestrator (ePO) solution users a holistic view of both network events and users.


v. Novell Partners With McAfee

McAfee ePO customers can use Novell Sentinel to create an 'identity aware' environment to better manage and mitigate business risk.


vi. EMC, Symantec kick-off security barrage at RSA (also in here and here)

While McAfee isn’t trotting out new products at the conference, the security firm did have news related to its Security Innovation Alliance program, in which third-party vendors participate to integrate McAfee technologies, particularly the APIs for its ePolicy Orchestrator management console. The SIA program, now at 55 partners, this week officially added Authenex, Cryptotech, eIQnetworks, Novell, S21sec, Solidcore, Trimfant, and Telos, the firm said today.


People



Eric Schmidt, who used to run Novell, will be coming to Utah later this year.

The Utah Technology Council (UTC) is thrilled to announce Eric Schmidt, Chairman of the Board and CEO of Google Inc., as the keynote speaker for its 11th annual Hall of Fame black-tie gala this year. The 2009 Hall of Fame will be held on Friday, October 23, 2009, at the Grand Ballroom of the Grand America Hotel, Salt Lake City.


Move Networks has just bought Inuk Networks and there is an element of Novell in there.

Move Networks says, he led the company to eight consecutive years of revenue growth and profitability, growing annual revenues from $3 million to $229 million. His resume also includes executive positions at Vinca, Novell and WordPerfect.


Messaging Architects gains some Novell DNA as well.

Previously, Mr. Riediger was a Technology Sales Specialist and a Product Sales Specialist at Novell, with a focus on Collaboration. Additionally, he worked in Business Development for the Novell Teaming+Conferencing solution in the German-speaking area. Prior to joining Messaging Architects, Mr. Riediger worked for i365, a Seagate company specializing in data backup, electronic discovery, disaster recovery, and regulatory compliance, with responsibility for direct sales.


Partners



Novell is mentioned very briefly as a partner in the following new press releases:



Here is a company that is teaching Novell skills, not just Microsoft which seems to be its focus. It's about Firebrand Training.

Autonomy keeps putting Novell in its background information which it appends to press releases, the latest examples being:



Marketing



Little was added to YouTube in the past week, but here is Novell's stand at Linux Expo 2009.



There's also this about site design.



That's about it for now.

Recent Techrights' Posts

Microsoft Media Operatives and Bill Epsteingate-Funded Sites Said Microsoft Lays Off 9,000, But Other Sites Say More (Including 2,300 in Redmond Alone)
We might never know the real number/s (Microsoft will keep the cards close to its chest) until there are leakers or unless there are whistleblowers with hard proof
GNU/Linux Reaches All-Time High in the United States of America
Windows is trending down
Why the Microsoft People Who Started SLAPPs Against Techrights Could Very Well be Sent Back to Prison
White-collar crime is also a crime
 
GNU/Linux is Replacing Microsoft Windows. But We Need to Eradicate Microsoft, It's a Hub of Crime.
I have been writing about Microsoft since the 1990s when I was in school
Microsoft Windows Nosedives in Switzerland While GNU/Linux Leaps Above 6%
sooner or later they might have to make the move anyway
Anxiety at Microsoft: Many Workers (Maybe Over 10,000) Still Don't Know They're Being Laid Off Just Before US Independence Day
"Has anyone gotten the notification yet?"
Microsoft "Declined to Say How Many People Would be Laid Off," According to Associated Press
Some other prominent publications said they reached out for comment from Microsoft and received none
The X War is Over and the "Wayland People" Lost
People will gravitate towards what works for them
20 Years Since My Thesis
It's still online
GNU/Linux is Replacing Windows in Laptops/Desktops
The world will move on while Windows and Microsoft shrink
Now Comes the Expected Webspam, Framing Microsoft Layoffs as "Hey Hi" Success Story (False Marketing That's Piggybacking the Layoffs)
falsely marketed as "intelligence"
Hungary: Microsoft Windows Sinks to 17% "Market Share"
In many nations in Europe it seems like the era of Windows is coming to an end
Microsoft Layoffs in Spain, Portugal Record for GNU/Linux
in Portugal we see GNU/Linux at record levels
Yes, Microsoft is Again Using Its Favourite Liars (Stenographers) to Seed Fake Layoff Numbers, Much Lower Than What's Really Happening
It is Jordan Novet again, just as we predicted
Will Microsoft Once Again Choose Its Favourite Liar to Spread Lies About Today's Layoffs, Quickly to be Replicated and Spread by Slopfarms?
What lies is Microsoft briefing its media moles to tell today?
"OSS Fetishism" Wins After Ferenc Zsolt Szabó Ousted (Microsoft Mole From Capgemini)
Many people said 2025 would be the "year of Linux on the desktop"
There is Nothing That LLMs Can Offer Honest People
LLMs are a passing fad; they're expensive and offer poor "value" for energy; they usually offer no value at all unless you are a cheater, spammer, and liar
What statCounter Shows Today Helps Explain Microsoft's Helplessness, Mass Layoffs
Since many US journalists are already away on holiday almost nobody will dare ask the difficult questions or give a voice to whistleblowers
Microsoft Gets the Chop in South America
The notion of digital sovereignty gained a lot of popularity
Europe Has an 'Exit'
Let's see what happens the rest of this year
El Presidente Talks, Canada Walks (Away From Windows)
GNU/Linux rising
Cities in France and Germany Move to GNU/Linux and statCounter Detects Big Differences
Will governments lead by example?
Microsoft Lost Its Foothold in Africa
How many of these are "old" Windows machines converted to GNU/Linux? Probably a lot.
Led by Europe, GNU/Linux Makes Big Gains This Month
statCounter started showing new/fresh stats
Links 02/07/2025: Massive Microsoft Layoffs About to Commence, "Tesla's Robotaxi Program Is Failing"
Links for the day
The Company Run by Former (and Last Proper) Red Hat CEO, Promoting Microsoft Mono, Faces Shock as Senior Partner Jailed for 33 Sexual Offenses Including Pedophilia
"As reported by The Oxford Mail in April 2025, the offenses include rape, sexual assault, engaging in non-penetrative activity with a child, and more."
Microsoft Lost 29% of Windows Users, Based on Microsoft, Now Come Massive Layoffs
Microsoft collapse is today
Slopwatch: Google Serves to People Linux Slop and Linux FUD (Made by Bots)
"Slopwatch" finds it difficult to ignore Google's role in encouraging LLM slop
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Tuesday, July 01, 2025
IRC logs for Tuesday, July 01, 2025
"Wayland People" Behave Like the Googles and Microsofts of This World
Published yesterday by Igor Ljubuncic
Gemini Links 02/07/2025: Arch Linux and Fulfillment in Gemini
Links for the day
Links 01/07/2025: "Independence Day in Taiwan", Bounties on Software Patents
Links for the day
What Happens When Your Law Firm is Preoccupied With Harassing and Trying to Extort a Humble Couple in Manchester, Even on Behalf of Violent Microsoft Staff From Another Continent
It's good to see that law firms which operate in bad faith are perishing
Lawyer X, Law Firm X and Elon Musk's X: scandals linked by Old Xaverian
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Gemini Links 01/07/2025: Distraction-Free Writing and Hytale Mismanagement
Links for the day
Links 01/07/2025: "Beauty of Blogging" and "Etiquette of Collapse"
Links for the day
Microsoft Uses LLM Slop to Defraud (or Rob) Shareholders
Microsoft is basically defrauding its shareholders by LLM slop
The Web is a Dead End
We need to adopt alternatives
When Words Lose Their Intended Meaning
examples of words that, at least in the technical spheres, don't mean what they sound like
People Who Disagree With You on Technical Matters May or May Not Agree With You on Political Things (But Usually They Do)
What bothers me a great deal is seeing left-leaning people accusing other left-leaning people of being "nazis"
"Too Much Choice" and "Too Many Programming Languages"
What IBM and its apologists aim for was attempted in the 1930s and it failed
Microsoft Lost 400,000,000 Windows Users, According to Microsoft
more people adopt smaller computers and many people replace Windows with GNU/Linux, as they don't really need a new computer
The "Davos Effect": Tarnishing the Reputation of Places Not by Overtourism But by Oligarch Infestation
The last Venice needs is an affiliation with Venetian oligarchs
Half a Year Gone, What's to Come Next
In the second half of 2025 we expect to be done with the Microsoft SLAPPs
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Monday, June 30, 2025
IRC logs for Monday, June 30, 2025
People at the Very Top of Microsoft Know How Bad Things Really Are
There's no product that can replace the former profitability of Windows licensing and stuff that went on top of Windows
Gemini Links 01/07/2025: Mid Year and a Tour of Old Languages
Links for the day
EPO Presentation Bemoans Misuse of Slop in Decision-Making on Patents and in Classification (Which is Likely Illegal Too)
We habitually mention failed use cases of LLMs on the Web
Mass Layoffs at Microsoft Confirmed, "XBox Hardware Is Dead"
It's possible that over 20% of the staff will be laid off
Links 30/06/2025: Kyrgyzstan vs Media Freedom, Dalai Lama Succession
Links for the day
Gemini Links 30/06/2025: Backend Programs in Gemini and Dynamic Content Without The Scripting
Links for the day
Links 30/06/2025: Zuckerberg’s Tax-Evading Scheme Harms Kids, US Copyright Office Lacks Leadership
Links for the day
Microsoft Isn't Laying Off Tens of Thousands to 'Invest' in Slop ('Hey Hi'), It's Laying Off Tens of Thousands Because It's Running Out of Money (and Willing Lenders)
the layoffs are a sign of the business failing, not "hey hi" (whatever that is) replacing staff
Intel Lays Off 20% of Its Workforce, Microsoft is Doing the Same This Year
Like a yoyo, whatever goes up will come back down
Microsoft XBox Layoffs: Almost 2,000 Layoffs Became "Over 2,000"? (Over 20% of the Staff)
over 20% of staff will be let go, not counting staff that leaves voluntarily
GNU/Linux Rises to New Highs in Angola, Africa in General is Abandoning Windows
Western media barely covers Microsoft layoffs in Africa, but in recent years Microsoft culled the workforce and even shut down entire operations
Summer Plans in Techrights and Elsewhere
massive layoffs at Microsoft
Destination Geminispace (in the Age of LLM Slop and Slop Images That Infest the Web and Social Control Media)
Geminispace isn't vast, but at least it is - on average - a lot "cleaner"
GNU/Linux Growing in Sierra Leone This Year
Based on what statCounter is seeing, this year there are more and more people there who adopt GNU/Linux
Serial Sloppers Gonna Slop
More sites out there ought to call out the cheaters
Quartz (qz.com) is Spam and a Slopfarm
It used to be OK. Then they fired the staff.
Links 30/06/2025: US Economic Woes, Extreme Heat
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Sunday, June 29, 2025
IRC logs for Sunday, June 29, 2025
Gemini Links 30/06/2025: "The AI Hype" and New AuraGem Ask
Links for the day