Bonum Certa Men Certa

Novell News Summary - Part III: Pulse With Google, Finance, Virtualisation and More

Salt Lake Valley
Salt Lake Valley



Summary: Novell's proprietary business assets and what they have been up to in the past week

NOVELL news coverage has recently been overwhelmed by the big bid [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]. Novell's PR team has been very active despite all of this and it hardly even mentioned the bid, instead choosing to focus on fluff like SaaS and a survey that Novell was conducting itself in order to support its position, apparently.





Interestingly enough, Novell recently conducted a survey of its customers and discovered that 43% of them would be more inclined to consider and purchase an SaaS offering if it included just such a solution.


Pulse



Will Novell's Pulse be more connected to Wave than anyone has anticipated? Maybe.

Do the Wave: Rasmussen Dishes on Google’s New Collaboration Tool



[...]

What kind of other companies do you envision becoming Wave providers?

Rasmussen: For example, Novell (News - Alert). They have product coming up [in 2010] called Pulse, which they describe as an enterprise social network-type product. And they announced, and we’re working pretty hard with them, that they will support Wave. So when you’re insidePulse ( News - Alert) you can start a Wave inside Pulse using Novell technology.

If I’m a Google user, you can add me to that Wave, and we can Wave together even though you’re using Novell’s product and I’m using Google’s product.


At the same time, Google challenges GroupWise and costing Novell a lot of money. Novell's PR team is promoting the following new video (one of a series of two so far) about Pulse.



Misc.



The ballot which Microsoft uses to pretend [1, 2, 3, 4] that there is choice in the market (as long as Internet Explorer remains installed) gets Novell mentioned in IDG. Novell used to actually stand up for what's right and not be so supine.

Well, it's the direct result of a long-standing legal dilemma between Microsoft and the European Union. The whole issue began in 1993, brought on through a complaint by Novell that Microsoft's licensing arrangements with computer manufacturers violated Europe's competition rules.


Can Novell thrive by being a jack of all trades? That's the question this person asks.

One IT vendor that faces such a problem is Novell. It once had a clear market-leading position – in the 1980s and early 1990s Novell’s NetWare network operating system was the network operating system of choice for sharing files among workgroups. The ascendancy of Windows, Linux, the IP protocol, among other things, led to a fall in demand for NetWare and left Novell seeking a new identity.


Hungary still considers buying from Novell, which makes the following predictions.

Software distributor Novell projects 5%-10% revenue growth in 2010 in Hungary even though it sees the Hungarian IT market expanding only modestly during the year.


Can Hungary press on with a company other than Microsoft and Novell now that standards are required?

Finance



Mentioned some weeks ago was Ron Hovsepian's ridiculous bonus, which takes up a lot of the revenue of this ~3,900-person company. IDG has this to say on the subject:

Novell president and CEO Ron Hovsepian's total compensation fell 17% in 2009, amid declining annual revenue and a wider net loss.

Hovsepian received compensation in fiscal 2009 valued at $5.7 million, compared to $6.9 million in 2008, according to documents filed late last week with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.


People concentrate on the relative decline, but not on the absolute value. What did Hovsepian actually do which makes him deserving of this "compensation" (euphemism for bonus)?

In other financial news we have:

Novell Zenwork Asset Management Renewal

U.S. Stocks Rise as Jobs Report, Takeovers Lift Confidence

ETF Preview: Mixed Early Action for Broad Funds; Novell Offer Could Lift Tech

The S&P 500's Biggest Movers

Notable Biggest S&P Stock gainers (Sprint, YUM, SWN, NOVL, WYNN, NVDA, ODP)

Interesting Options Volume for Novell Inc (NOVL)

Networks



An anonymous writer recalls "cleaning up after a networking vendor's bad behavior". Novell is mentioned right at the start.

Back in the late '80s, I worked for a group specializing in Novell networks. Sharing network resources among PCs was a new and upcoming field, and the Novell operating system was quickly turning into the standard among small businesses. We had a prospective new client in an upscale community: a law firm that wanted to replace its current vendor and its network.


Virtualisation



This new article from David Strom quotes Novell on the subject of virtualisation.

"If you lose one of these servers entirely, you could have a problem, particularly since on average, eight or more VMs are typically running on a single box," says Carl Drisko, a Novell executive who specializes in virtualization.


Novell has this new video promoting Intelligent Workload Management on YouTube and the state of XenApp for Windows 2008 is also worth mentioning.



Mail



Novell's GroupWise is included in the list of products which CompanionLink supports and in YouTube there is a new video featuring bits from GroupWise.



People



Novell's CTO becomes the W3C's CEO and this is covered in many more places [1, 2, 3] including the in-print media.

Filling a position left open since 2008, former Novell CTO Jeffrey Jaffe has taken on the role of chief executive officer for the W3C (World Wide Web Consortium).


Here is Jaffe's first post at the W3C blogs. Can he be trusted?

Additionally, there's this person being appointed:

Before that he spent five years running his own Australian-based consultancy specialising in IT security, VoIP services and training. Stevens is also a certified Cisco instructor, a certified Novell engineer, and a qualified Microsoft trainer.


Partners



Novell makes some more links around India.

Novell today announced that the Novell India Partner Academy, a training programme exclusively developed for Novell's partners to assist them in selling, distributing and supporting Novell's suite of enterprise IT solutions and held for the first time in Colombo, was a major success. Novell partners graduating from the training will be able to provide pre-sales consulting and professional services in addition to post-sales support and training to their own customers.


There is also this:

The IDenium server integrates into Microsoft AD, Novell eDirectory and Citrix, providing great flexibility in deployment and user management.


Novell gets mentioned in a couple of press releases [1, 2] and an article about Utah.

Marketing



Novell is promoting Identity Management with "guest blogs" [1, 2] and security problems are found too (but hardly mentioned anywhere).

The following new videos were created/uploaded by Novell some days ago:



It is believed that SAP might buy Novell or just parts of Novell.

Recent Techrights' Posts

IBM to Announce 'Results' Shortly, Expect Lots of Chaff Like "Quantum" and "Hey Hi" (Nothing Material to Show)
We're still seeing layoffs and an exodus
Upcoming Techrights Series About the Failure of the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) to Stop Hired Guns Who Work for Americans That Abuse Women
The SRA has demonstrated nothing but considerable incompetence at many levels
The "Alicante Mafia" - Part XIV - The EPO Vice-President Steve Rowan and the Hidden Alicante Connection is a Big Deal
We'll soon take a closer look at Ernst
 
It's Official, Mass Layoffs at IBM Again (2026)
In a matter of days we'll just see how much IBM's debt has grown
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Wednesday, January 28, 2026
IRC logs for Wednesday, January 28, 2026
Laos and Microsoft: About 10% Windows, 0% Bing
There are many more nations like it
EPO Technical Meetings Show no Breakthroughs, a Strike Goes Ahead This Friday
Apparently there was another (fourth) meeting today [...] The industrial actions are working already
Google News as the Sole Source of Slop About "Linux", a Feeder of Slopfarms or Serial Sloppers
At least it's no longer hard to 'contain' the slop problem, knowing which domains are the culprits and seeing that Google is their main 'feeder'
Links 28/01/2026: ChatGPT Has Financial Problems, White House Sharing Fakes (or Deepfakes) in Official Accounts/Sites
Links for the day
Gemini Links 28/01/2026: FlatCube NES Port Finished and "Why I Still Write on the Small Web in 2026"
Links for the day
Upcoming Techrights Series About the Public Appearances of Richard M. Stallman (RMS) in the United States
we plan to drop all pretences about "Open Source" and instead focus on Software Freedom
Upcoming Techrights Series About the Experiences of EPO Insiders
We'll start the new series some time next week
Links 28/01/2026: Microsoft Ordered to Stop Spying on School Children, Apple's Brand Tarnished by Its Complicity With Human Rights Abusers
Links for the day
Gemini Links 28/01/2026: Particle and AirMIDI
Links for the day
Amandine Jambert (EDPB/CNIL/FSFE), motive for lying, trust in blockchain and encryption
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Tuesday, January 27, 2026
IRC logs for Tuesday, January 27, 2026
Expect More XBox Layoffs Shortly
As expected
Links 27/01/2026: Japan-China Feud Escalates Again, "Iran's Internet Blackout Persists"
Links for the day
Online 'Gathering' Held Today to Organise Industrial Actions in EPO, Strikes Will be Starting Shortly
"Online Extraordinary General Meeting on Action Plan"
It's Not About What You Know, It's About Who You Know (and Stay Quiet About the Cocaine)
This is not an organisation that exists to ensure laws are followed
FOSDEM 2026: democracy panel: FSFE uses women as stooges, gerrymander
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Must Use Proprietary JavaScript to Submit Feedback to the European Commission About Moving From GAFAM to Free Software
Nevertheless, go tell them why Software Freedom would benefit Europe's defence and economy
Distortion of the Facts About Mass Layoffs at IBM
more layoffs are ahead
Gemini Links 27/01/2026: "Waiting Isn't a Waste", Posting from Lynx, and Bookmarks
Links for the day
Links 27/01/2026: "Oracle Debt and TikTok Transition Troubles Vex the Ellison Media Empire", Richard Stallman Quoted on Copyrights
Links for the day
Steven Field (Red Hat) Speaks of "Recent Layoff" (RA/Wave) in Red Hat
IBM really doesn't like it when people talk about "RAs"
The "Alicante Mafia" - Part XIII - Is EPO Vice-President Steve Rowan in Cahoots With the "Alicante Mafia"?
that deserves much media attention, political intervention, and condemnation
A Week Ago We Contacted the EPO's Stephen (Steve) Rowan About Cocainegate
Tomorrow we'll write some more about Rowan
“Wikilaundering” Explained
"London PR firm rewrites Wikipedia for governments and billionaires"
IBM Reports 'Results' Tomorrow, Expect More "RAs" (Mass Layoffs)
they use words like "efficiency", "optimisation", "AI", "pivot", "modernisation" and so on
Earlier This Month Microsoft Lunduke Said in Public It Was Good That Renee Good Was Murdered, Now He Mocks or Demonises People for Saying the US is Unsafe
Don't be easily conned by demagogues
Google News and "Linux" Slop
Why won't Google be interested in tackling this issue? Instead Google has been trying to participate in this issue.
IBM Kills Red Hat in the Darkness
What IBM does to Red Hat is malicious
IBM Red Hat's Goal Is Not Real Security (It Probably Never Was)
Spies and trolls are very malicious people and sometimes they're the same thing
With Absurd Lies About Slop, Which Lacks Intelligence or Financial Potential, GAFAM and IBM Will Twist Mass Layoffs as 'Efficiency Drive' or 'AI Pivot'
More layoffs are on the way
Animal Advocacy Works
All it takes is effort and determination
EPO Strike This Week
What has happened to Europe?
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Monday, January 26, 2026
IRC logs for Monday, January 26, 2026