To boldly go
- Article 15 of 16
- LinuxUser & Developer, August 2006
Rob Buckley reports on Novell’s recent ‘Enterprise Day’ in London
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Novell and the enterprise: is there anyone who doesn’t associate the two? Despite being founded in 1979, it wasn’t until the company’s acquisition of Ximian and SuSE in 2003 that it had a product it could sell to consumers. Until then, it was synonymous with enterprise networking through its NetWare products. So why, in June of this year, did Novell decide to run an Enterprise Day in London’s The Brewery conference venue?
Novell’s NetWare was once the networking product for the enterprise. But through various stumbles on Novell’s part, the arrival of the Internet and Microsoft’s skill in using its desktop monopoly to get Windows NT onto servers, NetWare’s star began to fade during the mid 90s. While it continues to have a vast installed base of NetWare users, attracting new users has been an almost impossible prospect, particularly when the virtues of Linux on the server became apparent.
The acquisition of SuSE changed all of that. In one, Novell had a new strategy for itself – Linux and open source – that could once again put it high on the CIO’s shopping list.
“A lot of people still have a vision of Novell as a Netware company,” started Novell’s Chris Papayianni, area general manager for Western Region, EMEA, as he opened the day to a packed auditorium. “We want to show you we have a commitment to open source and open standards.”
And that, in one, was the reason for the event – to persuade the assembled customers that Novell is once again a force in the enterprise thanks to Linux and open source.
At least, so it would seem at first. But as one after another executive came out to speak at the enterprise open day, it was clear no one was entirely sure what the strategy was – other than to talk about the World Cup and how as Americans, they really just didn’t get it like we Europeans, and yes they were trying really, really hard to get into it.
Was it to extol the virtues of Linux? Well, yes. But, no as well. Despite having a three-foot tall Tux on the stage in front of him, Papayianni was clear that Novell was not “in the business of creating tech, then throwing it over the wall. Our goal is to support business.” Indeed, the whole idea of free (as in “not paying for it”) software was something deeply upsetting to Papayianni. “You can get water free. I can get a bucket and go down to the Thames. I’m not sure I’d drink it though. But I will pay a couple of quid for bottled water.” Open source software is all fine and dandy, provided you’re paying someone to make sure it’s all right, in the world of Novell.
Instead of praising Linux and open source, Novell’s Enterprise Day instead revolved around three themes: virtualisation is great, particularly when it has a nice user interface; open source is great, but won’t rule the enterprise roost for a long time; and please, why don’t you just give us a try?
This last plaintive cry surrounded the impressive work being done for SuSE Linux Enterprise Desktop (SLED) 10. Despite various claims by various vendors and distribution maintainers over the years, Linux’s desktop has still had some way to go before regular users have been prepared to use it – or at least for regular enterprise users to use it. SLED 10 does at least look like it could be the first Linux desktop that could really have a stab at Windows’ dominance. While it would be relatively easy to take a cheap shot and say that finally Linux’s desktop developers have stopped stealing their ideas from Windows… in favour of stealing their ideas from OS X, it’s clear that Novell’s extended usability testing has resulted in an aesthetic and an interface that’s very similar to Apple’s. In fact, it still embodies many of the important features of the Linux desktop as it is today, such as multiple desktops and extreme configurability, while taking on board much of Apple’s user-friendliness.
But while Apple’s Steve Jobs would mesmerise an audience into instantly believing that OS X’s interface was just so much better than Windows’, you’d be a fool not to buy a Mac, Novell’s pitch was far less confident – although Novell’s vice president of Linux desktop Nat Friedman came close to making an equivalent, but more modest case for SLED 10 in his demo. Instead, the assembled executives wanted the assembled masses to know that Windows Vista was at least six months away, it was practically a new operating system, not an upgrade, so why not run a pilot program with SLED10, just to see if you’d like it? Take a few people aside, you know, maybe 30 or even 100, let them have Linux on their PCs and see how that pans out. They might like it. Which would be nice, wouldn’t it?
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