Dell joins Novell / Microsoft Linux pact

Author: Brett Thomas
Published: 7th May 2007
Comments (10) Stumble
"Three's company, too." - Dell has joined in the Open Source promotion agreement between Novell and Microsoft.

"Three's company, too." - Dell has joined in the Open Source promotion agreement between Novell and Microsoft.

I'm sure many of you remember the famed "Deal with the Devil," where Novell partnered with Microsoft for a "technology exchange" (amongst other things). The deal was meant (at least publicly) to emphasise Microsoft's new commitment to interoperability with open-source products, including Novell's popular SUSE Linux. For those unfamiliar, SUSE is a pretty popular distro nowadays, particularly for server architecture - which is why it would sometimes have problems with all of the Windows based desktops connected to it.

Well, Novell now has another hand to shake - Dell, the world's leading computer manufacturer, has just entered the deal. This marks the first large-scale manufacturer to enter the collaboration, a move that may trigger other top-end server vendors like HP to follow suit. To not do so in the face of a competitor already getting the first press would make other server giants look like they have lacklustre support for what has become a renewed passion in the tech world - a love for Linux.

Dell will kick off the deal by offering SUSE as its premier choice for enterprise server clients. Though the Texas company has previously offered SUSE as an install option, it was actually more expensive than Microsoft's Server 2003 OS and Dell never really offered support. To correct this, Dell has now begun to purchase certificates through Novell directly, which will offer its end users a wealth of resources along with the OS pre-installed.

On top of the certificate purchase, Dell has pledged a large marketing swing to promote SUSE to enterprise server clients that are not already using the OS. This will also include migration assistance to users, to help them get familiar with the changes and get their systems up and running quickly. One can only hope that this tech support is better than the support that the company is becoming infamous for in the home and small office realms...

It seems like Dell is really embracing this swing towards open source, with its recent choice for Ubuntu on desktops and now a public pledge with Novell. About the only question that remains is, what does this mean for Microsoft's presence? The server industry in particular has been steadily losing patience with Redmond since the decline of Windows Server 2000...could we be seeing the company taking a long bow out of the market?

Tell us your thoughts on what this all means in our forums.
Quote identikit 7th May 2007, 15:55
Quote:
The server industry in particular has been steadily losing patience with Redmond since the decline of Windows Server 2000...could we be seeing the company taking a long bow out of the market?

Well Longhorn has yet to arrive. Yes yes, I know Longhorn became Vista, but now Microsoft is releasing Longhorn Server. This is in Beta3 and will replace Server 2003, which is a very awesome OS IMHO. Microsoft has worked very hard on new features and for the vast majority of tech guys Longhorn server will perform everything they need.
Quote Javerh 7th May 2007, 15:57
If you can't beat them... To me it would seem like Microsoft is thinking of getting back on the server-bandwagon by buying a part of Suse. Perhaps they are offering contacts for Novell with companies such as Dell to gain the opportunity to start talking business.
Quote bilbothebaggins 7th May 2007, 16:10
What I rather do not understand is why Dell would go for two different Linux distros. Not that I have installed Suse recently, but I'm sure it would make just as good a Desktop OS as Ubuntu. (Though of course Ubuntu seems to be more hip atm.)
Makes Dell+Ubuntu look even more like a marketing gag to me.

-btb-
Quote identikit 7th May 2007, 16:16
Quote:
Originally Posted by bilbothebaggins
What I rather do not understand is why Dell would go for two different Linux distros. Not that I have installed Suse recently, but I'm sure it would make just as good a Desktop OS as Ubuntu. (Though of course Ubuntu seems to be more hip atm.)
Makes Dell+Ubuntu look even more like a marketing gag to me.

-btb-

SuSe and Novell are fantastic things to use, it's a shame more people don't know about them or have experienced them. Even though they are both Linux distros SuSe and Ubuntu are like apples and pears. It's good for Dell to have picked the 2 leaders (at the moment) in their respective fields.
Quote Agent_M 7th May 2007, 17:40
the idea behind ubuntu is its easy to use and is mostly setup automaticly after installation, and not having used suse i wouldnt know but id assume its like alot of other distros where you have to know what your doing to be able to use it, unlike most home users. that seems like a good reason to use ubuntu, apart from the popularity of course
Quote Tyinsar 7th May 2007, 17:46
Quote:
Originally Posted by 3rd paragraph of article
Dell has now begun to purchase certificates for through Novell directly...
"for through"?

Yay Linux!
Quote Tim S 7th May 2007, 18:47
typical... errors on the site when I'm stuck in a car all day with no net access :p
Quote Buzzons 7th May 2007, 18:48
"has now begun to purchase certificates for through Novell directly"

typo?("for through")
Quote Buzzons 7th May 2007, 18:48
bah to tyn for getting there fast :p
Quote Dr. Strangelove 8th May 2007, 14:03
Quote:
This will also include migration assistance to users

.. from Windows server?? I'm sure MS loves that bit of the deal...
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