Assimilation strategy

We've warned about this all along.

Microsoft might be doing to Novell what it has been doing to VMware and to Yahoo. Speaking of which, earlier today it turned out that Microsoft had just nicked another Yahoo executive (head of Yahoo Korea).

Additionally, let us never forget about Corel, which Microsoft may have turned from a GNU/Linux vendor into a .NET workshop. Sounds familiar? How about Mono?

As for Novell, well... we warned about Microsoft's influence in its management back in October. It goes in precisely the same direction that we had anticipated right from the start. Novell's channel chief steps down (or up) only to be replaced by... a "Microsoft veteran".

The Right Stuff?

Still, Colado’s short stint as channel chief raises some questions.

* Was Colado the right pick as channel chief back in September? * Did Novell’s channel program move forward under his direction? Apparently yes, according to this insight from CRN. (UPDATE: Apparently, CRN took its story down because it lacked the fact that Colado had been promoted. Sorry about the dead CRN link, folks) * Will Novell hire a new channel chief to report into Dragoon? It doesn’t sound like it.

But we’ve got an email into Novell requesting comment. (Update, Jan. 7, 2009: Novell says Dragoon is channel chief plus Novell hires Microsoft veteran.)

Yes, let Microsoft manage Novell's channel. What does that make Novell? Part of Microsoft's ecosystem? Prior to this, Colado only lasted a few months [1, 2, 3]. Pat Bernard too decided to step down (and quit) this role after a few months in the company [1, 2]. She does not seem to have responded to the Var Guy's plea for an explanation, or maybe it just never got published. ⬆

"Our partnership with Microsoft continues to expand."

--Ron Hovsepian, Novell CEO