Bonum Certa Men Certa

Novell News Summary - Part III: From SCO to Utah

Novell had no major products to unveil, so it just issued a vague press release about a vision it has.



Novell today announced an integrated vision for the future of the data center and a portfolio of integrated products designed to help customers increase agility while reducing cost, complexity and risk. The Service-Driven Data Center provides solutions to build, manage and measure the next generation data center so IT executives can deliver the business services that end users need through a flexible, automated and cost-effective infrastructure. Only Novell has the unique combination of technology-agnostic, interoperable and easy-to-use solutions that let customers maximize the utilization of their IT assets within a secure and compliant framework whether customers are running a server farm, building an internal cloud, or using an external cloud.


There was no coverage about this in the media, just copies of the press release, e.g. here and here.

Looking elsewhere, we found that the SCO trial moves forward (or almost nowhere).

SCO



SCO does not want to pay Novell and Novell formally replies to this objection.

Novell has responded [PDF] to SCO's Objections to Novell's Bill of Costs, submitted as the prevailing party in SCO v. Novell.

[...]

SCO *didn't* contest, Novell points out, most of the bill of costs, and it didn't contest that each of the depositions for which Novell seeks to recover costs were "reasonably necessary to the litigation of the case", which is the standard.


Here is another subsequent motion from Novell:

Novell has filed its brief in the appeal of SCO v. Novell. It's 87 pages, so I haven't read it yet myself. I'll swing back by after I read it. But the quick look at the index and the closing words indicates Novell is asking the court to affirm the lower court: "For all the above reasons, the district court judgment should be affirmed." That's on page 67 of the filing, which is page 81 of the PDF. Keep that disparity in mind when you look up page numbers in the opening index. For example, the Summary of Argument is page 21 of the filing, but you'll find it on page 35 of the PDF.


Pamela Jones meanwhile unearths some old information about SCO/Caldera.

The 2.4 kernel is exactly what the SCO litigation was supposedly about. We're talking the GPL here, though, so I can't help but ask another natural question. Did SCO carefully provide the source for all the Linux code it distributed, including with Open UNIX 8 (and later Unixware with the LKP)?


There is another article of this type.

ZENWorks/Past Technologies



Novell is still making some changes to ZENworks Configuration Management.

Novell on April 6 announced several enhancements to its solution suite for endpoint management designed to help customers maximize their investments in the ZENworks product line.


Virtualisation



The Var Guy, blinded by his support of Novell, fails to see that Novell's investment in PlateSpin turned out rather badly.

As The VAR Guy watched the PlateSpin demonstrations, Novell’s strategy finally became clear. First, get customers addicted to PlateSpin as a key tool for server consolidation and virtualization efforts that cut data center costs. Second, make sure SUSE Linux is a potential destination platform for the consolidation projects.

Novell’s Business Service Management strategy, in stark contrast, seems to be a work in progress. Yes, BSM helps Novell customers to further improve system up-time. But Novell’s efforts to cross-train SUSE Linux partners on Business Service Management are just starting.


See the comments.

Mail/GroupWise



Another week, another mention of BlackBerry support for GroupWise:

BlackBerry Enterprise Server is designed for organisations that manage their own email servers. The BlackBerry Enterprise Server software tightly integrates with IBM€® Lotus€® Domino€®, Microsoft€® Exchange and Novell€® GroupWise€® and offers advanced security features and IT policy controls to enable secure, push-based wireless access to email and other corporate data.


Novell's GroupWise might play nice with the Palm Pre thanks to this product.

"We look forward to Palm announcing a Synergy SDK to allow CompanionLink to synchronize Outlook, Lotus Notes, ACT! by Sage, Outlook Business Contact Manager, and Novell GroupWise data directly to the Palm Pre. Until that time, our currently available products will support the early adopters of the Palm Pre..."


There are many people in government who still rely on GroupWise.

One of Google's biggest global GMail deals was a $10million project with Telstra and SMS Technology to supply the NSW Education Department with 1.5 million accounts.

[...]

Late last year staff continued to use the Novell GroupWise platform for email.


Here is another big client of GroupWise.

The company has an extensive communications network connecting thousands of professionals with clients and partners. It uses Novell's Groupwise collaboration suite, and has extremely high mail volumes: in the construction side of the business alone over 50 000 e-mails are exchanged every day.

[...]

The Aveng implementation involved integrating Mimecast with the Novell NetWare environment. Mimecast's core infrastructure is based on its own carrier-class technology platform, which in turn is based on open industry standards and with powerful Web-based interfaces. Users see no change to how they access e-mail as messages are passed from the Mimecast servers (which do scanning and archival) to Aveng's GroupWise servers and then on to the clients. Users access the mail archives through the Web console, which provides virtually instant response times on searches.


Will Novell lose even more GroupWise users because of Microsoft?

Fitzpatrick said Microsoft has pushed DAS as his company looks to migrate to Exchange from Novell GroupWise email, but he's holding back. "I don't want to have the hassle with it," he said. "I'm also investigating hosted Exchange for that reason."


This report also shows up right here under a different headline.

Management



IDG mentioned Novell's Managed Objects in this article about BSM.

While the company is credited for coining the term BSM, BMC is not alone in the market. Companies such as Novell (which acquired Managed Objects), ManageEngine and Zyrion also develop BSM software applications.


Joe Panettieri ("Var Guy") mentioned Novell in a similar context.

Generall speaking, I don’t hear much about Novell in the MSP market. But I think BSM software could emerge as a niche solution for larger MSPs that need to manage SLAs.


The following article which covers identity management sought a comment from Novell.

Jay Roxe, director of product marketing at Novell (www.novell.com), agrees that tough times are increasing the likelihood of internal and external threats and suggests using identity management as a possible solution with ROI potential.

“Identity management is an area where IT security pros can demonstrate return on investment while also addressing major security concerns,” says Roxe, who adds that layoffs can be especially problematic. “Having automatic systems in place that can immediately deactivate an employee’s access to valuable information on a company’s systems is important.”

Roxe also recommends consolidating duplicate, often obsolete systems to save operational costs and streamline management processes. He also advises assessing employee role profiles and ensuring that no one individual has too much access. He cites an example of a single employee who can issue purchase orders and approve payments as a potential fraud risk. In these cases, compliance management systems can automatically enforce IT policies that manual processes would have difficulty tracking.


Support



A YouTube account called NovellServices has just uploaded this technical video.



People



David Bradford was mentioned in a lot of places because his company received funding, which is becoming a rare occasion in this economy. As the press release states (also here), Bradford has roots in Novell:

In preparation for Series B funding, industry veteran and respected executive David Bradford has taken the helm. Mr. Bradford brings 30 years of experience to Fusion-io, including 15 years at the networking software giant Novell, Inc. As a senior Novell executive, he helped lead the company from startup status through a series of acquisitions, public offerings and global business development activities to its position as a multi-billion dollar corporation. During his last three years at Novell, he reported directly to the CEO, Eric Schmidt.

"I am delighted to hear that David Bradford has been appointed CEO of Fusion-io," said Dr. Schmidt, now the CEO of Google. "I have great confidence in his ability to lead this innovative company."


This was covered in:

i. Wozniak's Utah startup lands $47.5M, CEO

The three-year-old Salt Lake City company said Tuesday that it has raised $47.5 million in funding and named former Novell executive David Bradford as CEO.


ii. Fusion-io closes $47.5 Mln Series B Funding round; names David Bradford CEO - Update

Regarding Bradford, the company said he brings 30 years of experience to Fusion-io, including 15 years at the networking software giant Novell, Inc.


iii. Fusion-io lands more funding; Names CEO

Enterprise storage company Fusion-io said Tuesday that it has raised $47.5 million in venture capital and named David Bradford, a former Novell executive, as CEO.

[...]

As for the new CEO, Fusion-io moved to add a CEO as it prepped for its latest round of financing. For the last decade, Bradford served on the board of directors of Pervasive Software. Prior to that, Bradford worked as senior vice president and general counsel at Novell for 15 years.


iv. Fusion-io Gets $47.5 Million In Venture Capital

New CEO Bradford is a 30-year veteran of the tech industry, including 15 years at networking company Novell, Fusion-io said. As a senior executive, he led Novell from startup status through a series of acquisitions, public offerings, and global business development. During his last three years at Novell, Bradford reported directly to chief executive Eric Schmidt, who is now CEO of Google.


v. Fusion-io gets funding infusion

In a tribute to Bradford's networking skills and contact book he's tapped Google CEO Eric Schmidt, a previous boss at Novell, where he worked for 15 years, to provide a supportive quote: "I am delighted to hear that David Bradford has been appointed CEO of Fusion-io. I have great confidence in his ability to lead this innovative company."


vi. Fusion-io plans SSD-based ioSAN network drive

The expansion into network storage takes place just as Fusion-io has signed on former Novell executive David Bradford as its CEO. Besides his experience in networking software, Bradford was also instrumental in bringing Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak into the company as a chief scientist to help guide the storage producer's research.


vii. Fusion-io Raises Huge, $47.5M Round

The firm said that it has named a new CEO, David Bradford, as part of the funding. Bradford joins from Novell, where he has spend the last 15 years.


viii. Fusion-io Lands A Big Round Of VC Funding

I just received a press release saying that Fusion-io has just landed a big Series B round of funding: $47.5 million from LightSpeed Venture Partners, and that it named David Bradford, a former senior VP and general counsel at Novell as its new CEO. Dell, New Enterprise Ventures and Sumitomo Ventures also participated in the investment.


ix. Fusion-io lands $47 million to develop flash storage

Fusion-io's new CEO, Bradford, was the senior vice president and general counsel at Novell from 1985 to 2000, and has held a number of posts over the past decade in the legal world and at several Web 2.0 and social networking companies. Bradford currently serves on the board of directors for Pervasive Software, a database management vendor.


x. Wozniak’s storage startup Fusion-io raises $47.5M more

The company’s announcement notes that in Bradford’s last three years at Novell, he reported directly to then-chief executive Eric Schmidt (now CEO of Google). Not that Salt Lake City-based Fusion-io really needs to play a “six degrees of separation” game to find connections to tech superstardom — Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak recently joined as chief scientist.


Joe Weisenthal wrote this article about Eric Schmidt (also in Fortune) and he mentions briefly the Novell era.

This growth has propelled Eric from his prior status as a little-known CEO of a technology also-ran (Novell) to one of the world's most powerful and richest men. He is also now widely regarded as one of the world's most talented chief executives.


Novell lost a couple of vice presidents to Xiocom and this is still mentioned occasionally in the press.

Wireless broadband solution company Xiocom Wireless has appointed Dell executive Steve Erdman as president. Erdman, who has 22 years of experience in technology sales, marketing and global business management, will oversee day-to-day operations and business and market development. He was most recently vice president of channels and alliances at infrastructure software provider Novell.


Utah



It turns out that Novell has invested in a Utah-based company called TriSano. We saw the announcement from the project back in August.

TriSano was developed by the Collaborative Software Initiative, a Portland-based company, with financial backing from Novell. It is open-source software, meaning it was free for the state to acquire and available for anyone to download and change as they see fit.


At Novell's campus there will soon be a workshop for people who game search engines.

The workshop will be held in the Mountainview Conference Room at the Novell Campus, in Provo, Utah, on April 29, 2009, from 8:00-11:00 a.m. Attendees that register by April 17th will receive a free website analysis upon registration. For more information, including registration, please visit http://www.seo.com/registration.


Novell's Utah campus was also mentioned in this article about local public transportation.

UTA discusses new Provo-Orem bus line



[...]

As currently planned, Utah Valley University will serve as the northernmost terminal and the Novell Campus as the southernmost, with Brigham Young University as a major stop in the middle.


That's about all for this week.

Recent Techrights' Posts

Obscene Contradiction in Microsoft's Layoffs Tally ("Official" Numbers Do Not Add Up)
Notice how they treat "LinkedIn" as separate
Confirmed: Microsoft Layoffs Come in Two Waves, Just Like Last Summer
To us, what stands out is the admission from Microsoft that there are two (or more) waves
Links 06/07/2026: Artists Reject Slop (or Even de Facto Bribes to Market/Endorse Slop)
Links for the day
The Media Needs to Speak of Slop as a Climate Issue Like It Did With Bitcoin
But the slop industry keeps paying the media to play along with the hype
 
SLAPP Censorship - Part 130 Out of 200: Jealousy, Envy, Hubris
This site is primarily about Free software
Gemini Links 06/07/2026: Still Mostly Dry, GoToSocial, and More
Links for the day
European Patent Office (EPO) Series: Effective Dispute Resolution… But Not For EPO Staff
Slovenia fielded one of the few Administrative Council delegations which managed to maintain its own independent line against the tyrannical EPOnian "Sun King"
Community Sites Need Genuine Collaboration and True Autonomy
People who want to communicate, federate and organise for effective change need to evolve
Free Software Foundation (FSF) Covers Quibble, Free Software for Secure Communications, in the FSF Summer Bulletin
The Georgia Tech folks are bringing Free software education and contributions to one of the better known Computer Science hubs in the US
Microsoft Layoffs Include Windows, Bing, Slop (CoPilot etc.) and There Will More More Rounds (or Waves) to Come
"43% of Xbox laid off"
Preserving Comments About the Real IBM Before They Get Deleted
IBM in the 1980s is not what it is right now
Cybershow on "Escaping Prisons For Your Mind"
"THE CYBER SHOW: Stealing technofascism's boots, and stomping on its own face with them."
The Media Talks a Lot About XBox Layoffs, a Closer Look at the Data Show Microsoft 'Bloodbath'
'Bloodbath' is the term insiders use
Links 06/07/2026: At Least 20% Staff Reduction in XBox (Microsoft), Taiwan Sees Uptick in Chinese Aggression/Provocation, Senator Rodante Marcoleta Arrested
Links for the day
In Praise of the UK's Stance on Free Speech (but Some Reservations)
At the moment there is a healthy discussion going on with the objective of disrupting attacks on British press
Exposing Corruption at the European Patent Office (EPO), a Call for More Whistleblowers
We predict that, provided enough whistleblowers speak out, António "the unready" won't even finish his current term
Leaving Our Pets for Several Days
This week our pets will be worried that "mommy and daddy" are away
Dating Trees and Dating 'Apps'
several high-profile stories in the news about scandals in "dating apps"
DW Documentary About Julian Assange Turns 2
It was released just days after Assange had turned 53 and about two weeks after he had left the UK
Independent Media is the Only Form of Legitimate Media
Independent media is, indeed, what we need to demand more of
The Story of the European Patent Office (EPO) Wagging the Dog (EU)
The aim of the series is to properly inform the world - not just Europeans - how Europe's second-largest institution is run [...] How did a corporate hub of monopolies become so detached from the Rule of Law?
GNU/Linux Up to New High in Libya, Windows Down to All-Time Low
GNU/Linux touches 5% there, based on statCounter
SLAPP Censorship - Part 129 Out of 200: Iranian Tactics
Hunger for revenge compels people to do overzealous, irrational things
Quiet Week
Many in the US are still enjoying an extended weekend
IBM's Fall
IBM's fate is closely connected to that of the Free software movement because of the salaries
Social Dialogue at the European Patent Office (EPO) is Dead, the Strikes and Work Stoppage-Like Actions Carry on
What next for the EPO?
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Sunday, July 05, 2026
IRC logs for Sunday, July 05, 2026
Links 05/07/2026: Shadows of the Upper Peninsula and 2026 Old Computer Challenge
Links for the day
Not Everything Should be Electric
technology has become detrimental to society
Gemini Links 05/07/2026: Eye of the Beholder and Baldur’s Gate 3 and Alhena 5.6.5
Links for the day
GNU/Linux Market Share is Already High
GNU/Linux has fast become and is still becoming mainstream in recent years
The 9-Step IBM Algorithm: Gaming Wall Street While Shedding Off Staff and Bribing the Mainstream Media to Play Along
Any time IBM preaches manners (e.g. CoC) to the community remember that IBM works closely with and flatters the dictator
XBox is Practically 'Dead Man Walking' at This Point
writings on the wall
They Could Never Kill the Ideas of Richard Stallman (RMS), But They Are Still Trying
Killing an idea is harder than killing a person and killing a person is illegal
Only Germany Objected to Salary Adjustment (Reduction) Procedure of "Team Campinos"
"flash report on the Administrative Council of 30 June and 1 July 2026"
A "Never Slop" Policy in Quibble
"every change in the repository must be made by a human"
Series on GNU/Linux in Japan
This series can last a week or longer
75% of All the Patents Last Year Were Software
The corporate media has more or less ceased to discuss this matter
At Microsoft "the Morale of Developers is at an All-time Low"
Numerous reports today say that after at least 5 studios got marked for shutdown (mothballing) by Microsoft there are rumours about Obsidian as well
Links 05/07/2026: Data Breaches, Heat Waves, and Weinstein Rape Conviction Upheld
Links for the day
Confidentiality at Risk With Slop 'Coding'
People who continue to cheer for slop aren't just misguided fanbis and fangurls
False Narratives of Slop "Efficiency" as Debt Climbs
false stories about slop
July 8 as "D-Day" for Microsoft, Mass Layoffs Planned
Microsoft's grip on the market has slipped for a long time
GNU/Linux Leaps to 6% in Thailand
Can we expect 10% by year's end?
SLAPP Censorship - Part 128 Out of 200: Making Laws Work for Britain, Not Oversensitive Americans Looking for 'Revenge' by Lawfare
The SLAPPs are intended to protect corporations (employers like Microsoft)
EC Looking for Input on Digital Networks Act Until Next Month
New initiative
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Saturday, July 04, 2026
IRC logs for Saturday, July 04, 2026
Gemini Links 05/07/2026: Ragebaited and Removing Lines in Emacs
Links for the day
Links 05/07/2026: "Tesla Slams Into Crowded Cafe" and "ChatGPT [Turned] Into a Sociopath"
Links for the day
BRICS and Windows: All-Time Lows
Expect many more Microsoft layoffs in years to come
Do No Evil, Do Not DDoS
Sites that attract DDoS attacks because of their message are sites that are difficult to debunk or debate
France is Winning the Race Against Windows
France instructs, then orders, government agencies to adopt GNU/Linux
Not 2.5% and Not 2.5 Billion Dollars for "Hey Hi"; 2 Waves of Microsoft Layoffs Rumoured This Month, July 8th, Then July 22nd (Just Before 'Results')
People there join unions, knowing they will be terminated silently or otherwise
Microsoft Double Trouble With Slop
What does Microsoft even sell at this point?
Based on US Government Sites, GNU/Linux Has Reached About 8% "Market Share" in Desktops/Laptops
Culled to exclude mobile platforms, GNU/Linux would likely be above 8%
TheLayoff.com is Deleting Comments About IBM Offshoring
Meanwhile, rage-baiting Internet trolls and sometimes trolls who paste in LLM slop are immune from censorship
American Independence Needs Independent Media
The American regime's hostility towards media is an international problem
Techrights Was Always a Community Platform
Techrights is about whistleblowers
Phenomenal Growth for GNU/Linux in Afghanistan
This is impressive because for many years it was registered at near 0%
Daniel Pocock Pursuing Complaint in the United States Against Software in the Public Interest (SPI) et al
It seems like the only people who don't support him are those whom he criticises
Gemini Links 04/07/2026: Busy Squirrel, Independence Day Celebrations, PalmOS Programming
Links for the day
Canonical/Ubuntu is Breaking CP (cp) to Help Microsoft Turn Coreutils Into Proprietary Software for Windows
What we could do reliably in the 1970s (before GNU) we cannot do in 2026?
Brett Wilson LLP is Downsizing, Apparently Closing Down the Oversized and Overpriced Office
Address changed 13 hours ago
Free Software Has No Kings or CEOs
The kingdom is a cross-border phenomenon, so national flags and other such symbolism overlook the core problem [...] Free Software can help lead us out of the current imbalances
The United States Lost Freedom of Speech
independence refers to a condition, not an activity
IBM Replacing the People Who Built IBM With Cheaper and Younger Staff, According to IBM Insiders
This is a very common sentiment in IBM
For USA 250 Microsoft is Messing With Our Minds (2.50%) to Distract From Mass Layoffs
The slopfarms contribute to this noise
"Defective by Design" Turns 20
DBD is still as relevant as ever (probably more relevant than ever before)
A Bicycle for the Feeble Mind, or How Computers Got Worse for Productivity (Intentionally)
Many of us still adopt and champion the "workstation" mentality
Links 04/07/2026: Microsoft Tax Haven (Evasion) Tactics, Tobacco Bans, and More
Links for the day
Links 04/07/2026: 2026 Old Computer Challenge and Trying Gopher
Links for the day
SLAPP Censorship - Part 127 Out of 200: Lawsuits by Americans Filed in the UK a Burden on British Taxpayers, No Way to Recover the Funds When Americans Lose Their Cases
Are Garrett and Graveley 'pulling a 4Chan'?
Links 04/07/2026: USMCA (Covering Software Patents) Might Not be Renewed, Slop Bros Try to Pay Weird Al to Endorse Their Scheme
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Friday, July 03, 2026
IRC logs for Friday, July 03, 2026