01.08.07
Posted in Deals, Free/Libre Software, GNU/Linux, Interoperability, Marketing, Microsoft, Novell, SLES/SLED, Windows at 1:38 pm by Shane Coyle
Despite the accolades that SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop have recently received, Novell does not seem all that confident in the "end-to-end open source" solution stack. Novell prefers to define itself as a mixed-source company, with Stafford Masie providing just some of the insight into Novell’s perspective.
Sandeep Menon, director- Linux Business, Novell West Asia provides further evidence that Novell is postitioning itself as a "Windows complement", and that Novell sees Linux as a successful "niche" product, happy to coexist with their partner Microsoft in whatever small role they are allowed.
On convincing the customers to deploy open source on desktops, Menon said, "We don’t try and do a mass migration in the first place. We first sell the value proposition to the customer that Novell has an agreement with MS, whereby we work hard at interoperability, so they need have no concerns whether the current setup will be affected."
Shedding more light on the "intrusive" strategy of the company, Menon said, “We tell the customers that we would like to do the deployment in phases, starting with a pilot division, so that we can demonstrate how well Linux works, and co-exists with windows.”
So, rather than compete directly with their partner Microsoft with their award-winning "complete desktop replacement", Novell is instead encouraging other Linux vendors to also embrace Microsoft and is preaching peaceful coexistence with Windows.
Coexistence with Windows, where have I heard that strategy before?. Now, let’s have a look at Microsoft’s espoused strategy in regards to Novell:
We need to slaughter Novell before they get stronger… If you’re going to kill someone, there isn’t much reason to get all worked up about it and angry. You just pull the trigger. Any discussions beforehand are a waste of time. We need to smile at Novell while we pull the trigger.
Permalink
Send this to a friend
Posted in Asia, IBM, Intellectual Monopoly, Microsoft, Mono, Novell, Patent Covenant, Patents, Ron Hovsepian at 10:38 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
Dana Gardner has contributed an interesting piece to ECT News Network. In this short article he explains why Microsoft’s recent actions do more to defeat its goals, rather than promote them. He also insinuates that, looking at the long term, Novell might be a victim in this highway to the success of GNU/Linux.
If Microsoft is willing to make a legal deal with Novell on Linux, why shouldn’t it do the same with the global 2000 customers it sells to? Novell might be gone in a few years, but General Electric will still be around. So will Russia, China, Brazil, India and Massachusetts.
Remember when AOL thought it was doing the world’s researchers a big favor and made a boatload of online user behavior data openly available?
Remember the unintended consequences?
It became fairly easy to link up user preference data with some actual identifiable users. Users were upset, AOL looked pretty goofy, and they apologized and back-tracked.
[...]
Well, thanks to Microsoft Latest News about Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer’s recent transparency on his beliefs about Linux and Windows, we have a similar unintended educational consequence in the works.
[...]
According to a recent survey at least partially backed by IBM, Linux has never been more attractive.
Thinking of Novell as a misfortunate sacrifice (a scapegoat even) seems like a misfit. Given all that Novell has gone through, as well as hateful messages from Microsoft, it is evident that Novell simply needed to search its archives and prevent repetition of its mistakes.
The cost of this validation for Linux, as confirmed by IBM and Stuart Cohen, despite the patent FUD—a little bonfire, at which Novell tossed wood—might be Novell’s business prospects. As our reader John Schudy points out, even Novell customers gain no real protection from so-called patents.
We are currently seeking more proof that (at least some of) Novell employees acknowledge the need for patent protection. In my short coversation with Miguel de Icaza I was referred to something which, at least to me, sounds like a very bad tune. From de Icaza’s blog:
“Not using Mono in any shape or form is not a blank waiver against patents. That means that even if you choose to stick to your beloved C, Python, C++ or anything else, for any new software you write, you are likely to infringe on someone else’s patents (or even the same ones that Mono could potentially infringe).”
It sounds to me as though therein lies an admission by a prominent Novell figure that Linux infringes on software patents. If you are aware of a similar stance at Novell, please keep us informed. Novell has attempted to shrug off (or weasel out of) its commitment with Microsoft as far as patents are concerned. Some speculate that this retraction was driven and motivated by public relation needs rather than inherent belief.
Let us not forget that this company has recently been raving about its ‘mixed source’ strategy. I can recall at least 4 articles which contained this ‘pitch’, some of which have already been covered in this Web site. And even this morning, an article showed up, wherein that same chorus repeats:
He (Sandeep Menon, director- Linux Business, Novell West Asia) stressed on the company’s policy of ‘mixed source’ saying the vendor is “not puritanical or fanatic” about pushing just one type of technology.
Permalink
Send this to a friend
Posted in Deals, Deception, GNU/Linux, Novell, OpenSUSE, Patents at 1:58 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
One blogger sure thinks it’s the case, at least in some people’s eyes. Of course, it is by no means justified. Those who contribute to Opensuse (formerly OpenSUSE or SuSE) are suddenly perceived as somewhat responsible for Novell’s selfish action.
It’s how businesses operate. Most CEO‘s in today’s society make decisions and lead their company…perhaps an approving board jumps in to give a vote of confidence…but overall, the common employee or programmer isn’t consulted on directions that a platform is going. It’s like this for just about every company I’ve ever worked for…the ‘small guy’ isn’t heard.
I had a short confrontation with Miguel de Icaza yesterday (context being Mono) and, as I told him at the time, I used to be an active participant of the Opensuse community. I provided assistance, I advocated, and I even contributed to some technical things from which Novell benefited. On November 2nd, however, Novell betrayed its community in favour of its customers and its managers, essentially pulling the carpet from under our feet. Many of us no longer wanted to be associated with the behemoth which not only sold out its community, but also committed business suicide.
Permalink
Send this to a friend
Content is available under CC-BY-SA