MESSAGE
| DATE | 2003-08-21 |
| FROM | From: "Inker, Evan"
|
| SUBJECT | Subject: [hangout] Novell Bets on Linux
|
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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