Novell, Microsoft land joint Linux-Windows deal with Renault

. . . keeping an eye on the penguin

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Jan. 31, 2008

It's an open question how much good the Microsoft-Novell deal is doing Microsoft, but Novell certainly can't complain about French carmaker Renault deploying 1,000 SLES 10 SP1 subscriptions in its offices.

In the agreement, which was announced on Jan. 30, Microsoft agreed to deliver to Renault "more than 1,000 certificates for priority support subscriptions from Novell, as Renault consolidates existing Linux distributions to SUSE Linux Enterprise Server with the goal of improving interoperability and taking better advantage of virtualization."

Susan Heystee, Novell vice president and general manager of global strategic alliances, said in a press release, "Working with Microsoft to jointly build and support solutions to improve interoperability and deliver powerful new virtualization capabilities is paying great dividends for our customers." In its last fiscal year, Novell saw 69 percent year-over-year growth in Linux. CEO Ron Hovsepian credited this growth in large part to SLES' interoperability with Microsoft software. "We're better than anyone else when it comes to interoperability with Windows," Hovsepian said.

Heystee reinforced Novell's interoperability sales message, saying, "Increasing the presence of SUSE Linux Enterprise in the data center, well-integrated with a Microsoft Windows environment, will enhance the deployment of applications and increase the competitive advantage of innovative companies. With growing marketplace understanding of the solutions we are providing to the interoperability challenges in a world of mixed-source software, we expect to continue to see growth of SUSE Linux Enterprise in the market."

Microsoft General Manager of Strategic Partnerships and Licensing Susan Hauser agreed with the interoperability point in a statement, saying, "Customers have asked for solutions to make Microsoft products work better with other platforms." Hauser said customers were also turning to Novell/Microsoft package deals "for IP (intellectual property) assurance that enables vendors to build technical bridges."

It has been suggested by Roy Schestowitz, one of the founders of Boycott Novell site, that these deals aren't good for Linux in the long run. Schestowitz wrote on the Web site that "with all these deals comes the usual extortion that's associated with mythical software patents [the Microsoft reference to IP], which are not even valid in France."

It's not only people who are deeply suspicious of the Microsoft-Novell alliance who see it this way. Microsoft Watch Editor Joe Wilcox wrote, "What if interoperability licensing agreements like the one with Novell are a new twist on the embrace, extend and extinguish strategy? The goal could be to consolidate the market around one or two major enterprise Linux distributors and marginalize the rest. When there is one major enterprise Linux competitor, Microsoft can try to extinguish it."

-- Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols

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Use of this site is governed by our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Except where otherwise specified, the contents of this site are copyright © 1999-2008 Ziff Davis Enterprise Holdings Inc. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Ziff Davis Enterprise is prohibited. Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.