More Novell layoffs in '08
,----[ Quote ]
| More layoffs are expected next year at Novell Inc. after the Waltham, Mass.
| software maker disclosed in a federal filing Thursday plans to extend a
| restructuring effort in a two-year strategy to shore up profitability.
`----
http://www.heraldextra.com/content/view/247987/
Just like Linspire. Other companies should watch and learn what Microsoft does
and what those stupid deals mean.
Related:
,----[ Quote ]
| Message-ID: <pan.2006.11.04.19.28.22.579976@xxxxxxxxxxx>
| From: casual observer <no_one@xxxxxxxxxxx>
| Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.advocacy
| Subject: Novell: From hero to zero in sixty seconds...
| Date: Sat, 04 Nov 2006 12:28:22 -0700
|
| Novell as HERO: SCO vs. Novell
| At the beginning of the week, Novell appeared to be a big hero in the
| GNU/Linux community. They have been a hero by standing up to
| the big bully, SCO Group. Their actions have been key factors and are now
| legend because these cases have dragged on for so long. Their request for
| summary judgment that will force SCO cough up Novell's 95% share of their
| Microsoft/Sun "license" fees. This ruling will most likely be ordered by
| the court shortly. This will effectively erase the very existece of SCO as
| a viable business entity. Novell's actions in this arena created a stock
| of community good will which soared to great heights. Here-to-fore Novell
| would not be bullied by their next door neighbor.
|
| Novell as HERO: Owner of the respected Suse Linux distribution
| Also, at the beginning of the week, Novell was the respected
| owner of one of the leading GNU/Linux distributions. Novell obtained
| instant "street credibility" by acquiring Suse Linux. This showed that
| Novell thought GNU/Linux was now ready for "prime time" and could be used
| to replace their aging Netware offering. Suse Linux made Novell a
| player in the desktop software market as companies began looking for a
| more secure, virus and spyware free OS.
|
| They also seemed to have a viable business strategy to make free software
| pay. Their business model which relies on a revenue stream from paid-only,
| end-user support contract is easily understood. No one expects free
| support, even when the GPL itself guarantees free software. The bonus is
| that this model gives a bottom line that Wall Street understands, too:
| more support contracts equals higher company profits. The model is not
| unique- RedHat, Oracle, IBM, and others all "get" that the biggest
| "value added" component is through the direct support they provide.
|
| Novell as ZERO: Announces "collabrative" deal with Microsoft.
| All of their positive actions are erased. They are taken off the board in
| one fell swoop. Ray Noorda must be rolling over in his grave. The deal
| with Bill "pearly" Gates and Steve "The Embalmer" Ballmer came close
| enough to Halloween that it should have evoked memories of Halloweens
| past, or possibly "Halloween Memos" past. It is a sure bet that something
| unholy is going down whenever you make a deal with the devil. Even their
| "corporate memory" seemed to be conveniently offline in the last
| week. They apparently forgot that NT supplanted Netware and MS Word
| supplanted WordPerfect, erasing vast sums from Novell's bottom line. They
| think they can trust MS this time. Lucy will let Charlie Brown kick the
| ball this time, too.
|
| Novell as ZERO: Novell the new FUD puppet
|
| Microsoft needed a new shill now, especially now that SCO is winding
| down, without the result that Microsoft intended. Oddly, Novell
| appears happy to replace SCO as Microsoft's new chief puppet. Hovespin
| shouldn't complain when Steve pulls the marionette strings.
|
| Ballmer's promise not to sue Suse users, smells of the vaporware MS is
| famous for. If patents are being infringed, then MS should state their
| case and objections with specificity. SCO has had years to do so, and has
| shown nothing. Clearly, all this is all vapor and the latest FUD offering
| from MS with no legal basis. You can bet that if there was any way to
| lock out Samba, it would have done been done long before now. It could
| be that some of restraints placed on convicted monopolists are partly
| effective in tying the offenders hands. It's too late now. The statute of
| limitation control, if nothing else. The large legal staff at MS has
| informed Steve that FUD is the only card that can be played. MS gets a
| bonus that they can use with the European commission,
|
| Baller to EU: "Don't fine us. We're cooperating with Linux."
| [Holds up Novell contract.]
|
| Novell as ZERO: Loss of community good will.
| Hovespin should have sat down with the CEO of EV1servers.net if the
| GNU/Linux community is capable of generating a backlash. If you need paid
| support, and your internal support offerings are inadequate for your
| needs, then look at the offerings from RedHat! Personally, I wouldn't
| touch Novell's offerings with the proverbial ten foot pole. Wall Street
| eventually will notice there has been a significant loss of good will
| toward the company when their bottom line plummets.
|
| Final Word:
| The GPL gives users freedoms which cannot be revoked, or traded away.
|
| http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.txt
`----
|
|
