03.01.07

Novell’s Role in Microsoft’s New Battle with the EU

Posted in Europe, Interoperability, Law, Microsoft, Novell, Samba, Servers, SUN at 5:45 pm by Dr. Roy Schestowitz

Server interoperability returns to the headlines. The EU is at the offence again. After Samba’s demonstration against the Novell/Microsoft deal, Shane alluded to the impact of the deal on the EU ruling. And the story is not over. In fact, Microsoft’s deal with Novell equips the convicted monopoly abuser with more ammunition, perhaps proof that it collaborates. Then comes the intellectual property pitch. Whilst software patents are invalid and even illegal in Europe, Sun, Novell and Microsoft are all located in the States.

In any event, here is the latest:

Europe Threatens New Microsoft Fines

The European Union escalated its trans-Atlantic fight with Microsoft Corp. on Thursday, threatening new multimillion fines against the software maker over claims it is asking rivals to pay too much for information that would help their servers work with Windows.

[...]

Microsoft has reached licensing agreements with several of the companies that originally took issue with the software maker’s practices and pricing, including Sun Microsystems Inc. and Novell Inc.

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Novell Misses Wall Street’s Expectations

Posted in Finance, Microsoft, Novell at 5:18 pm by Dr. Roy Schestowitz

Financial results are in and Novell is taking a defensive stand. The company defends its Linux strategy despite the overall disappointment.

Revenue from Linux, the popular open source operating system, rose 46% to $15 million, and invoices of Linux products jumped 646% to $91 million.

But revenue from its identity management business, one of several relatively new businesses, was off 7% to $24 million.

In another twist, another distribing headline is used

Novell says Microsoft Linux certs topped $73 mln

Microsoft sells Novell’s Linux software to its customers in the form of certificates that they can exchange for Novell products under the terms of a partnership that was signed late last year.

That’s right. “Microsoft Linux” and Microsoft as a Linux seller. The bottom line is that, despite all these spins, sales fall and costs rise. Novell could become the victim of its own sins. It has hurt its image in the Linux world.

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