"Two months ago, the Brazilian Linux community gathered around BR-Linux invited Novell to answer 10 questions sent and selected by the users, about the company's stance on Linux, open source, licenses, document formats and other subjects." "Novell has been very consistent on this issue and we have publicly stated that we do not believe that Linux infringes on any Microsoft patents. That being said, our agreement with Microsoft takes the patent issue off the table for customers. We have simply made the patent issue a non-event as part of a customer buying decision."
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Member since:2007-01-18
Member since:2007-05-05
> Let's just admit the obvious and that Novell are exceptionally stupid here, OK?
In what way has the deal turned out badly for them? I'm all ears; I'd love to hear. As I said:
* Their stocks are up (and have been for a long time now)
* Their making huge deals with large OEMs (you know, little companies like IBM+Lenovo, Dell, AMD) to make Linux on the desktop happen
* They've got more Linux engineers than ever
* SLE adoption has greatly increased
How could you possibly say they're "stupid" when pretty much nothing has turned out badly from the deal except some FUD that people have been spreading?
Member since:2005-07-06
Their stocks are up (and have been for a long time now)
Their stocks are up, they have a temporary cash boost, they've made the rate of slide in their revenues smaller (but Netware usage is still declining) - but they've had to get into bed with their biggest competitor to do it - Microsoft. The company who would like to see them go out of business and clean up. Ultimately, Novell don't have much of a long-term future.
Their making huge deals with large OEMs (you know, little companies like IBM+Lenovo, Dell, AMD) to make Linux on the desktop happen
They've been announcing these deal for years, and it has made no appreciable difference to them or Linux desktop usage. The Linux desktop is being made to happen mostly by individuals going out and doing it.
They've got more Linux engineers than ever
Wow.
SLE adoption has greatly increased
Suse Linux servers being sold by Microsoft are being put into networks controlled by Windows 2003 domain controllers. There is no future there. It's ironic that Novell have had to turn to their biggest competitor to sell their own products, which just shows how utterly incompetent they are.
How could you possibly say they're "stupid" when pretty much nothing has turned out badly from the deal except some FUD that people have been spreading?
Have you seen the FUD that Microsoft and Steve Ballmer have been spreading as a result of this deal? I think someone quoted some in a previous comment.
Member since:
2005-07-06
That is pure nonsense. Most of the agreement was already released please read it.
Alas, the exact wording of the agreement matters little to Microsoft in terms of the impression they wanted to create.
There is an explicit point saying "NO PARTY, BY SIGNING THIS AGREEMENT, ADMITS TO ANY FORM OF PATENT INFRINGEMENT". Novell have also stated it a million times (and at least 5 times in that article). How clear could it be?
That may be the case, but Microsoft have got exactly what they wanted and they have had no qualms whatsoever about telling all and sundry that Linux and open source software infringes on Microsoft's 'IP' and that licensing is required. The Novell deal has helped create that impression amongst the corporate people Microsoft want to get their message over to.
Let's just admit the obvious and that Novell are exceptionally stupid here, OK?