Microsoft announced Novell partnership

According to a recent article published in the Wall Street Journal, Microsoft was to enter into an unusual partnership with Novell which would give a boost to Linux. From the article:

Under the pact, which isn’t final, Microsoft will offer sales support of Suse Linux, a version of the operating system sold by Novell. The two companies have also agreed to develop technologies to make it easier for users to run both Suse Linux and Microsoft’s Windows on their computers.

The two companies were expected to announce details of their plan at a press conference in San Francisco. In addition, Microsoft won’t assert rights over patents over software technology that may be incorporated into Suse Linux, the people said. Businesses that use Linux have long worried that Microsoft would one day file patent infringement suits against sellers of the rival software.

The companies said the set of agreements, expected to be in force until at least 2012, will include a joint research facility at which Microsoft and Novell will design and test software combinations, and work with customers and software developers to build and support those technologies. Microsoft also will recommend Novell’s Suse Linux Enterprise for customers that want Windows and Linux. “We definitely want customers who chose to run both Windows and Linux to choose Novell,” Mr. Ballmer said.

Here are some updates from the official Microsoft Press site:

Microsoft and Novell Announce Broad Collaboration on Windows and Linux Interoperability and Support

Novell Inc. President and CEO Ronald W. Hovsepian and Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer have announced a set of broad business and technical collaboration agreements that will help their customers realize unprecedented choice and flexibility through improved interoperability and manageability between Windows and Linux.

Now, how’s that for a direction change? :)

2006
11/03
CATEGORY
Interesting facts
Microsoft
8 comments
  • Bogdan

    Today’s not April 1st, you know…

  • Ovidiu

    They’re both strong, multinational corporations, so, as long as they get their money’s worth out of it, I don’t think they give a fdamn. ” [..] a joint research facility at which Microsoft and Novell will design and test software combinations, and work with customers and software developers to build and support those technologies” … they have the best of both worlds: the SuSE, which, IMO, is one of the best distros today, and the Vista … nothing wrong can come out of putting 2 very good things together. I mean we’re not talking about a new OS here or anything :P It will be fun to watch.

  • http://www.tudy.ro Tudy

    Yup, definitely will! :)

  • http://eugen.invatza.info/ Eugen

    Just a few commentaries from http://linux.slahdot.org :

    1) “Temperatures in Hell are dropping. Flocks of flying pigs have been seen migrating southwards.”
    2) [for Novell] “Did you ever dance with the devil in the pale moonlight?”
    3) “Its a trap! Get an axe!”
    4) Its just the first step to “license” free software. There will be a “blessed” Novel-Microsoft open source path all other being doomed (with never ending software patent infringement suits)
    5) They try to do with SuSE what they did to OS2
    6) [question in a future SuSE installer] “How many Windows Server virtual machines do you want to run on your SuSE server?”

    … and so on …

  • Susu

    It’s definately a strange partnership, but explainable. Linux distros formed a very good reputation running as servers, while windows ‘distros’ have a better reputation running as desktops. This kind of partnership had to happen sometime.

  • EpsDel

    Why in Hell i get to read “Microsoft” in a “Linux” topic? Please let me know.

  • EpsDel

    No, really, I`m very disappointed. You host a Linux and Unix topic and all you do is praise MS && Windows. Dude, that’s lame. I even doubt you know anything about Linux or Unix. LAMER.
    I’m sure you won’t have the guts to leave this message posted.
    Ever installed a Gentoo distro from scratch? Compiled a kernel? Compiled a program from source? (How about KDE?)
    What is your degree of union with the code? Huh? You R a disappointment. Follow the Dark Path you are, yes, yes.
    nJoy.

  • http://www.tudy.ro Tudy

    Everyone’s entitled to their own oppinion. I don’t have anything agains Unix systems, I’ve even used and worked on many myself.

    And yes, I do have the guts to leave your message posted, simply because I am sincere about my opinions and my ideas.

    And now, to answer your questions: yes, I installed Gentoo, CentOS, RedHat, Mandrake, SuSE and Debian distros from scratch. Yes, I’ve compiled the kernel. Yes, I’ve compiled a program from source.

    I’m not even gonna bother replying any more. All this Windows vs Linux and evil Microsoft vs rest of the OpenSource world is just a load of junk, with people like you not seeing beyond the business that this is after all, while insisting to remain at a low IQ level in their debates on the matter.