Bonum Certa Men Certa

Novell News Summary - Part III: PlateSpin Protect 8.1, Sentinel, and Few Other Things

Desert days
Arches National Park in Utah



Summary: All the rest of the news about Novell

There is nothing significant to see here this week, but what follows is a quick summary of minor things.



SCO



No interesting developments here since the last report. Groklaw has a couple more posts, the latter of which suggests that this saga ain't over for at least another year (the AutoZone trial).

Finance



We won't be following financial news as much as we used to. With the Yahoo!-Microsoft deal actually signed, we no longer read the relevant Yahoo! RSS feeds. Here is one minor report from last week.

Tech stocks finished the day lower. Microsoft, Novell and Oracle lost 1.5%, 1.2% and 1.6% respectively.


Older/Proprietary Technology



YouTube has this new video of Zen and IDG wrote about Zenworks.

"This is seamless to the end user," he said. "And it is integrated with Active Directory policies, and supports Novell Zenworks through group policy. This means that no back-end infrastructure is needed to deploy this across the enterprise."


Novell's eDirectory was mentioned very briefly in ZDNet.

Information about people is stored and referenced using directory servers. There are plenty of these around, including IBM's Tivoli Directory Server, Microsoft's Active Directory and Novell's eDirectory


Virtualisation



Novell's PlateSpin Protect 8.1 made this appearance and it looks like news indeed.

Novell announced the availability of PlateSpin Protect 8.1. With PlateSpin Protect 8.1 customers can protect and restore whole workloads, from both physical servers and virtual machines, up to 50 percent faster than before, shrinking backup windows and reducing the time needed to restore systems after an outage.


More in CBR:

Novell has refreshed its PlateSpin management line so that tools used to restore workloads from physical and virtual machines in the data centre can do so up to 50% faster than previous versions.


"Up to 50% faster" may also mean 5% faster, on average. This language requires skepticism. Novell is mentioned as a virtualisation contender by InfoWorld and it is listed by IT Jungle too.

But Handy says that over time, IBM will support the Xen hypervisor (pushed mostly by Citrix Systems and Oracle with some interest from Novell) and the KVM hypervisor (championed by Red Hat as an alternative to Xen on X64 iron); it will also support logical partitions on Power Systems servers running atop PowerVM and supporting i, AIX, and Linux. Exactly when is not clear. But there is a clear need for the software.


Novell remains recognised in this field despite being a minor player with minuscule market share. The lion's share of this market is still VMware's. We may have some fraud to report regarding this company in weeks to come.

Mail



GroupWise is mentioned in this bit about MessageSolution and also in this one and that one.

Additionally we have:

i. Twitter breach revives security issues with cloud computing

Under the $7.25 million plan, the city will transition its Novell GroupWise e-mail and Microsoft Office applications to Google's e-mail and office productivity products starting this December. The migration is expected to save the city more than $6 million in software license costs over the next five years and an additional $7.5 million from reallocating resources dedicated to GroupWise to other tasks.


ii. Novell promotes email efficiency for customers and staff

Novell (NASDAQ:NOVL) trained its staff Tuesday on how to use GroupWise software more efficiently. GroupWise is the company's collaboration and productivity platform. It includes both client and server software.


On Collaboration:

iii Collaboration Tools Can Cut Costs, Boost Productivity

Even with software investments trending down, collaboration tools may be worth a look for increased productivity, contained costs and a reduced carbon footprint. Cisco, IBM, Microsoft and Novell are pushing into the market, but open-source solutions are also available. Collaboration tools can even boost customer relations and revenue.

[...]

"Providing employees with collaboration tools that enable them to work together effectively, no matter where they may be located, is no longer a wish-list or nice-to-have item -- it's a requirement," said Kent Erickson, senior vice president and general manager of Workgroup Solutions for Novell.


Management & Security



Not so long ago we mentioned Burton and Novell because they were going to meet up from Wednesday to Friday [1, 2]. Novell's PR people mentioned it some days ago.

Both organizations will preview capabilities of Novell Cloud Security Service during an industry-wide interoperability demonstration at Burton Group Catalyst Conference, Wednesday, July 29, 2009 at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront.


From the Burton Group's gig, quite a few press releases came. Among those that mentioned Novell:

i. eXpresso(TM) Corp Showcases Cloud-based Single Sign-On and Interoperability at Burton Group Catalyst Conference

Recognizing the ongoing interest enterprises have in utilizing off-premise applications, the Burton Group has invited leading identity providers such as CA, Novell, Sun, TriCipher and Ping Identity as well as live SaaS application environments such as eXpresso, Salesforce, Google Apps and Cisco WebEx to wire together their systems using nothing but standard identity protocols and the Internet. The end result will be a showcase of secure interoperability in the cloud for attendees at the Burton Group conference to witness first-hand.


ii. New Log Management Solution from Novell Delivers a Key Building Block for Security and Regulatory Compliance

Novell, Inc. today announced a comprehensive log management solution that expands the functionality offered in Novell's security information and event management solutions. Novell(R) Sentinel(TM) Log Manager simplifies fulfillment of audit requirements and improves security by streamlining the management of ever-increasing volumes of raw event data used for risk investigations and compliance reporting.


iii. Novell Tackles Cloud Computing Security

At the Burton Group Catalyst Conference this week, Novell plans to demonstrate Novell Cloud Security Service, which is designed to secure Cloud-based and Software as a Service (SaaS) services. The company's effort underscores the continuing concern that as cloud services gain attention because of their potential business benefits, they may be outstripping their own security capabilities.


iv. PivotLink Eliminates the Security Barriers to Cloud-Based Business Intelligence

Novell separately announced it will demonstrate the Novell Cloud Security Service with PivotLink during the event. The solution allows PivotLink to extend its security model by integrating PivotLink's application and data level security into the overall framework.


Then came some more news about Sentinel, which Novell's PR people wrote about.

Today we announced a comprehensive log management solution that expands the functionality offered in Novell’s security information and event management solutions. Novell Sentinel Log Manager simplifies fulfillment of audit requirements and improves security by streamlining the management of ever-increasing volumes of raw event data used for risk investigations and compliance reporting.


More on Sentinel (from the news):

i. Novell aims to tighten cloud security

Novell has unveiled a cloud-computing identity and access management service, designed to extend corporate security policies to hosted facilities.

On Wednesday, Novell demonstrated an advanced prototype of its Cloud Security Service, which is due for release to enterprise organisations as a product early in 2010.

Novell said the new service, which has been in a private joint-development phase with hosting partners, is based on existing components used in its Access Manager, Sentinel and Identity Manager products.


ii. Novell gets into log management

The Novell Sentinel Log Manager is designed to simplify auditing and bolster security by streamlining the management of raw event data used for risk investigations and compliance reporting for regulations such as HIPAA, Sarbanes-Oxley and PCI DSS.


People



Novell participated in the following webinar, but names of people seem to be entirely missing.

Agiliance Inc., the leader in integrated Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC), today announced it will host a live webinar titled "FTC RED FLAGS: Are You Ready?" on August 6, 2009 at 2:00 PM EDT featuring distinguished panelists from Novell, Rick Wagner, Rook Consulting, Jim Anderson and hosted by Ed King, vice president of marketing, Agiliance.


A new IDG Webcast features Ross Chevelier from Novell:

Join Ross Chevelier, CTO for Novell Americas, to discuss key IT consolidation drivers....


Chevelier does some more talking elsewhere, as advertised by the notorious Sys-Con.

...Ross Chevalier, CTO for Novell Americas and President for Novell Canada, will be presenting at the upcoming Government IT Conference & Expo (www.GovITExpo.com) this coming October 6th in Washington, DC.


A new hire emits details about another former Novell employee:

Blount's experience at Novell and JD Edwards, where he led the strategic acquisition of over a dozen technology companies, complemented by his recent successful turnaround and strategic merger of Dynix Corp., demonstrates his vision and success in acquisition growth strategies and his ability to convert those acquisitions into successful, long-term growth.


Partners/Relationships



A few commercial relationships were mentioned here and here, but that's a lot less than average.

Marketing



Novell's chief marketing guy raves about Novell as a support site.

For many clients, support is the make or break attribute of a positive or negative software experience. Our technical support teams get this and it’s why I’m very proud that for the third consecutive year, The Association of Support Professionals has announced Novell as a winner of their “Ten Best Support Sites”. This prestigious award highlights excellence in online service and support.


Promotional Novell videos continue to be pushed into YouTube, usually by the company. The latest additions:



And another Novell commercial:



Here ends another quiet week.

Recent Techrights' Posts

Backlash and Negative Press After Microsoft Tells Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) People to DIE
Follow-up stories
Censorship as Signal of Opportunity for Reform
It remains sad and ironic that Wikileaks outsourced so much of its official communications to Twitter (now X)
The World Wide Web Has Been Rotting for Years (Quality, Accuracy, and Depth Consistently Decreasing)
In the past people said that the Web had both "good" and "bad" and that the good outweighed the bad
Comoros: Windows Plunges to Record Low of About 6% in Country of a Million People (in 2010 Windows Was 100%)
Many of these people earn a few dollars a day; they don't care for Microsoft's "Hey Hi PC" hype
The Mail (MX) Server Survey for July 2024 Shows Microsoft Collapsing to Only 689 Servers or 0.17% of the Whole (It Used to be About 25%)
Microsoft became so insignificant and the most astounding thing is how the media deliberate ignores it or refuses to cover it
Windows Down From 98.5% to 22.9% in Hungary
Android is up because more people buy smaller mobile devices than laptops
Microsoft Windows in Algeria: From 100% to Less Than 15%
Notice that not too long ago Windows was measured at 100%. Now? Not even 15%.
Microsoft Windows "Market Share" in New Zealand Plunges to 25%
Android rising
SUSE Goes Aryan: You May Not Use the Germanic Brand Anymore (It's Monopolised by the Corporation)
Worse than grammar Nazis
Gratis But Not Free as in Freedom: How Let's Encrypt is Dying in Geminispace
Let's Encrypt is somewhat of a dying breed where the misguided CA model is shunned
 
Links 17/07/2024: New Attacks on the Press, European Patents Squashed Even at Kangaroo Court (UPC)
Links for the day
Gemini Links 17/07/2024: Proponents of Censorship and New Arrivals at Gemini
Links for the day
Links 17/07/2024: School Budget Meltdown and Modern Cars as Tracking Nightmares
Links for the day
This Should Certainly be Illegal, But the Person Who Helped Microsoft Do This is Still Attacking the Critics of It
perhaps time for an "I told you so post"
[Meme] A Computer With an Extra Key on the Keyboard Isn't Everyone's Priority
(so your telling me meme)
Africa as an Important Reminder That Eradicating Microsoft Doesn't Go Far Enough
Ideally, if our top goal is bigger than "get rid of Microsoft", we need to teach people to choose and use devices that obey them, not GAFAM
Billions of Computers Run Linux and Many Use Debian (or a Derivative of It)
many devices never get updated or even communicate with the Net, so exhaustive tallies are infeasible
[Meme] Microsoft is Firing
Don't worry, Microsoft will have some new vapourware coming soon
More DEI (or Similar) Layoffs on the Way, According to Microsoft Team Leader
What happened shortly before Independence Day wasn't the end of it, apparently
[Meme] Many Volunteers Now Realise the "Open" in "OpenSUSE" or "openSUSE" Was Labour-Mining
Back to coding, packaging and testing, slaves
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Tuesday, July 16, 2024
IRC logs for Tuesday, July 16, 2024
[Meme] Ein Factory
A choice between "masters" (or "master race") is a false choice that results in mass exploitation and ultimately eradication (when there's little left to exploit)
Links 17/07/2024: Open Source Initiative Lies and Dark Net Thoughts
Links for the day
Media Distorting Truth to Promote Ignorance
online media is rapidly collapsing
Android Rises to New Highs of Almost 80% in Cameroon
How many dozens of nations will see Windows at under 10% this coming winter?
Links 16/07/2024: TikTok Ban in Europe and Yandex Split
Links for the day
Gemini Links 16/07/2024: On Packrafting and on Trump Shot
Links for the day
[Meme] Firefox Users Who Think They Know Better Than Mozilla
Enjoy Firebook
Firefox Used to Have About Half the Market in Switzerland, But It Doesn't Stand a Chance Anymore (Chrome Surging This Summer)
Mozilla has managed to alienate some of the biggest fans of Firefox
Microsoft's Biggest Losses Are in Europe This Summer
Microsoft's ability to milk a relatively rich Europe is fast diminishing
How to Make Software Suck and Discriminate Against People at the Same Time
ageism glorified
Bing Was at 2.6% in Russia When LLM Hype Started. Now It's Down to 0.8% (for 3 Months in a Row Already)
The sharp fall of Bing may mean that exiting the Russian market won't matter to anybody
[Meme] Microsoft Seems to be Failing to Comply With WARN Act (by Refusing to Announce Mass Layoffs as They Happen)
since when does Microsoft obey the law anyway?
Microsoft Layoffs Are Still Too Frequent to Keep Abreast of and Properly (or Exhaustively) Classify
The "HR" department knows what's happening, but whistleblowers from there are rare
Bahamas Joined the "5% Windows" Club
statCounter only traces back about 1 in 20 Web requests to Windows
Links 16/07/2024: Salesforce Layoffs and Microsoft's DMARC Fail
Links for the day
Antenna Abuse and Gemini Abuse (Self-hosting Perils)
Perhaps all this junk is a sign of Gemini growing up
Possibly Worse Than Bribes: US Politicians and Lawmakers Who Are Microsoft Shareholders
They will keep bailing out Microsoft to bail themselves out
The Software Freedom Conservancy Folks Don't Even Believe in Free Speech and They Act As Imposters (Also in the Trademark Arena/Sense)
Software Freedom Conservancy was already establishing a reputation for itself as a G(I)AFAM censor/gatekeeper
Djibouti Enters the Windows "10% Club" (Windows Was 99% in 2010)
In Africa in general Microsoft lost control
GNU/Linux Share Doubled in the United States of America (USA) in the Past 12 Months
Or so says statCounter
Even in North Korea (Democratic People's Republic Of Korea) Google Said to Dominate, Microsoft Around 1%
Google at 93.26%
[Meme] The Red Bait (Embrace... Extinguish)
They set centos on fire, then offer a (de facto) proprietary substitute for a fee
Shooting the Messenger to Spite the Message
segment of a Noam Chomsky talk
[Video] Boston Area Assange Defense (Yesterday)
It was published only hours ago
Guinea: Windows Down From 99.3% to 2.7% 'Market Share'
Guinea is not a small country
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Monday, July 15, 2024
IRC logs for Monday, July 15, 2024
What's Meant by "Antenna Abuse" (Gemini)
syndication is not a monopoly in Gemini and if one doesn't condone political censorship, then one can create one's own syndication service/capsule
Microsoft Layoffs and Entire Unit Termination: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
What an announcement to make just before Independence Day
Links 16/07/2024: Old Computer Challenge and One Page Dungeon Contest
Links for the day
Microsoft Falls Further and Closer Towards 10% (Windows "Market Share") in Kuwait
more countries entering the "single-digit Windows" (under 10%) club
Gemini Links 15/07/2024: Antenna's Pro-Hamas Bias Revisited and Old Computer Challenge
Links for the day
[Video] Julian Assange, Over One Decade Ago, Cautioning About What the Internet Had Truly Become
video is not new
Homage to Malta
Malta is probably easy for Microsoft to bribe
IRC at 16
Logging has been used for us and against us
In Malta, Android/Linux Has Overtaken Microsoft Windows (According to statCounter)
statCounter milestone?
Links 15/07/2024: China’s Economic Problems, Boeing Under Fire
Links for the day
500 Days' Uptime Very Soon
Good luck doing that with Windows...
Windows Falls Below 20% in Tunisia
A month ago we wrote about GNU/Linux in Tunisia
Links 15/07/2024: Google Wants Wiz and Why "Sports Ruin Everything"
Links for the day
Gemini Links 15/07/2024: Old Computer Challenge and Sending Files via NNCP
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Sunday, July 14, 2024
IRC logs for Sunday, July 14, 2024