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

The Latest Rumour Says The Next (as Correctly Predicted Before) Wave of Layoffs at Microsoft is 3 Weeks Away, "Larger Than the First Wave"
Step 2
TV Licensing Used to SPAM Your Postbox, Now It Does the Same to E-mail
First they ask for your E-mail address; then they start nagging you via E-mail
Our Priority is Still Tackling Software Patents and Corruption in Patent Offices
Meanwhile we got compliments on our recent articles, which means that they are effective
Slopwatch: Another Day, Another Slopfest, LLM Slop Scrapers Slow Down Our Site
We too have some slop issues; this past day this site and the sister site had to answer about 2.5 million requests (not counting Gemini Protocol) and it's slowing things down for everybody
Abuse Inside the Polish Patent Office (UPRP) - Part IX: Minimum Wages For You (Experienced Scientist), Alicante/EU Paydays For Me (Unproductive, Corrupt Official)
Does UPRP maladministration extend to the false belief that qualified and experienced scientists can play the role of circus clowns?
 
EPO's Gareth Lord Asked About "Quality and Productivity" or, Put Another Way, Why the EPO Keeps Granting So Many Invalid/Illegal Patents
letter to Lord
EPO's Central Staff Committee (CSC) Scrutinises the Man Who Illegally Grants (and Forces Others to Illegally Participate in Granting) Software Patents in Europe
EPO compels examiners to break the law in the name of obeying illegal "rules" or "orders"
The Toxic Playbook
Either you support Prince Mohammed bin Salman or you're a nazi
It's Possible That BetaNews Got Cracked, But Nobody Talks About It, The Site Contains an Outdated Old Image, No Activity
It's possible that they will never explain what happened to the site and users' accounts
Links 12/06/2025: Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson Dies
Links for the day
Gemini Links 12/06/2025: Video Game Diegesis and Steam Next Fest
Links for the day
"The Liberating Power of Simply Telling People the Truth."
'polite' bullying
Why the Militants Have Lost Every Battle Since 2022 (When Attacking My Wife and I in Various Ways, Even Attacking Our Employers)
This takes patience, sure, but at the end most evildoers face the consequences for their actions
Politics Will Impact Software Choices
Will those systems respect users' freedom?
EPO: Neglecting Children to Promote American Monopolies by Shielding Them From European Competition
Yesterday the Central Staff Committee at the EPO spoke about another "reform" at the Office
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Wednesday, June 11, 2025
IRC logs for Wednesday, June 11, 2025
Links 11/06/2025: More Vulnerabilities Found in 'Smart' Phones, China Extends Reach in the Pacific
Links for the day
Gemini Links 11/06/2025: Grain and Steam Next Fest
Links for the day
Links 11/06/2025: "Quantum" Hype From IBM, US Closer to Martial Law, and “The Nation” Celebrates Milestone
Links for the day
IBM's CEO Roasted, Sizzled and Grilled for Dumb and Inconsistent Vapourware Promises
It looks like being a chronic liar is what it takes to lead the company once synonymous with computing
IBM's Goal Is Not (and Never Was) Computer Users' Freedom
More than 1.5 decades ago I found IBM to be an "ally of convenience" because of OpenDocument Format (ODF)
Wayland Shows the IBM/Red Hat Way of Doing Things
IBM is trying to 'kill' X
Who Imitates Who? Plagiarist as Client (From Microsoft), 'Plagiarism' at the Law Firm?
let's revisit the subject
GitHub is Proprietary, Controlled by Microsoft, and GPL Violation Warehouse
"IRS tax filing software [will be] released to the people as free software" ... In general this is good news
Slopfarm Catastrophe
Seems like BetaNews (or BetaNoise) has just suffered a major data loss and restored the site from a week-old backup
Abuse Inside the Polish Patent Office (UPRP) - Part VIII: Illegal Working Conditions
How many people need to die for these people to get their massive salaries?
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Tuesday, June 10, 2025
IRC logs for Tuesday, June 10, 2025
Links 10/06/2025: Apple Hype and Physical Attacks on Bloggers
Links for the day
Gemini Links 10/06/2025: Loon Lake, Farming, and Forth
Links for the day
Links 10/06/2025: Jaws at 50 and US Democracy Crushed Very Rapidly (Martial Law Seems Imminent)
Links for the day
Abuse Inside the Polish Patent Office (UPRP) - Part VII: Washing Their Hands After Corruption and Abuse
"Tragedy or comedy?"
Culling Bad RSS Feeds of Bad Sites
Not throwing out the baby with the bathwater
If 'Microsoft v Techrights' is Dealt With by a 'Microsoft Court' (or a Court Outsourced to Microsoft)
More on that later
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Monday, June 09, 2025
IRC logs for Monday, June 09, 2025
Gemini Protocol Turns Six in 10 Days From Now
If you haven't tried it yet, then give it a go today
Live as You Preach
technology is fast becoming dysphoric