MESSAGE
| DATE | 2003-08-22 |
| FROM | Ruben Safir Secretary NYLXS
|
| SUBJECT | Re: [hangout] Novell Bets on Linux
|
Evan
Are we set for the Tuesday Night Meeting at your Office at 8PM?
Ruben
On Thu, Aug 21, 2003 at 09:27:06PM +0100, Inker, Evan wrote:
>
> August 18, 2003
> Novell Bets on Linux
>
>
> By Jason Brooks
>
>
> When Novell announced its purchase of the desktop Linux company Ximian two
> weeks ago, it was one of the biggest stories to come out of LinuxWorld Expo.
> The move was significant and intriguing, since Novell didn't buy software,
> per se, but instead bought into ideas that could prove pivotal to its
> future.
>
> Ximian's products-the Evolution messaging application, Ximian Desktop 2
> environment, Red Carpet management software and Mono, the Linux-based
> implementation of Microsoft's .Net platform-were developed and distributed
> as free software, so Novell didn't have to pay for the code to market it.
> What Novell got for its money is the opportunity to exert control over the
> code by directing its development.
>
>
> With the market share of its NetWare network operating system a fraction of
> what
> it once was, Novell, along with industry titans such as IBM, Oracle and, to
> a lesser extent, Sun, is betting it'll be better off tying its future to a
> platform owned by no one in particular than chasing after the one operating
> system intended to rule them all. To that end, Novell has been porting its
> flagship services to Linux, and the company has announced its plans to ship
> NetWare 7 as a set of services made to run equally as well atop the Linux or
> NetWare kernel.
>
> The Ximian pickup brings Novell significant street cred in the open-source
> software world, as Ximian founders and new Novell employees Miguel de Icaza
> and Nat Friedman are well-connected and highly regarded as leaders in the
> free-software community.
>
> For Ximian, becoming part of Novell means more development resources; a
> large marketing, sales and support apparatus; and, most important, being
> thought of as a trusted name in the enterprise IT world. Although NetWare
> market share has slid over the years, Novell enjoys a base of some 90
> million licensed NetWare seats connected to 4 million servers worldwide.
>
> Novell's server-oriented product offerings and Ximian's desktop-targeted
> pieces overlap little and should be able to mesh well, enabling Novell to
> present current and prospective customers with a product suite that
> stretches from the back end to the client.
>
> With the prospect of a sturdy foothold in the emerging world of desktop
> Linux, Novell has a chance to show off the integration of its directory,
> file, print and messaging services into client systems in which these
> services can enjoy better than second-class citizenship.
>
> While I believe Novell's moves are promising, the company faces plenty of
> challenges. For one, there's the question of whether Novell intends to
> produce its own Linux distribution.
>
> When Microsoft Watch's Mary Jo Foley asked Novell Vice Chairman Chris Stone
> whether a Novell-rolled Linux distribution was in the cards, Stone answered
> in the affirmative, adding that while specifics have yet to be determined,
> Novell plans "to cover Linux from the desktop to the server."
>
> I think Novell should hold off, at least in the beginning, on shipping its
> own distribution and instead work with established Linux partners such as
> SuSE and Red Hat.
>
> One of Ximian's biggest strengths as a desktop Linux enabler is that it has
> built its products to work atop established Linux distributions, rather than
> offering one of its own. This has preserved choice for Ximian customers and
> has reduced the level of vendor commitment required for a company to buy
> Ximian's wares.
>
> With the latest release of Ximian's desktop environment, I was disappointed
> that Ximian had cut its supported distributions down to Red Hat and SuSE.
> Novell, which already offers its Linux products as add-ons for Red Hat and
> SuSE, might do better to use its resources to expand the number of
> distributions it supports rather than focus on building its own.
>
> Building and maintaining a Linux distribution is a lot of work, as is
> developing the sort of ISV and IHV relationships and certifications
> necessary for an enterprise-suitable offering.
>
> A new Novell may be able to position itself as a top-to-bottom
> infrastructure vendor, but its success will depend on maintaining the sort
> of flexibility and openness that made this Linux play attractive to begin
> with.
>
> Senior Analyst Jason Brooks can be reached at jason_brooks-at-ziffdavis.com.
>
>
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