Novell in Open Source Squeeze Play?

November 25, 2010

I don’t know much about open source. I know that quite a few developers are excited about various open source systems and software. “Microsoft’s Hand in Novell Deal Bodes Ill for Linux” struck me as jarring. Network World has been covering open source, but this write up seemed to be a warning flare. Here’s one of the passages that caught my attention:

…what better solution for Microsoft than to buy up a bunch of Novell’s assets instead? More ominously, what better tool to begin making Linux vendors an offer they can’t refuse? This seems an especially likely scenario in light of Linux’s new prominence and Windows’ shrinking role in large companies’ purchasing plans. ‘Embrace, Extend, Extinguish’ Microsoft is infamous for its tendency to embrace open source software with one hand while bashing it with the other- -witness its latest FUD video targeting OpenOffice.org, for example. So if it does end up with some of Novell’s Linux assets, it’s not going to be a good thing. No matter what it might say, Microsoft’s history of patent litigation and its repeatedly used “embrace, extend and extinguish” strategy proves that it is no friend of open source software.

Oracle is showing some hostility toward open source in my opinion. IBM makes a big deal about its open source approach, but I heard some rumblings about Eclipse, at which IBM has blown kisses in the past. Now Novell’s acquisition may allow the lads in Redmond to make life interesting for the “community”.

Worth monitoring.

Stephen E Arnold, November 25, 2010

Freebie

Written by Stephen E. Arnold · Filed Under Business strategy, Microsoft, News, Open source, Technology

Comments

2 Responses to “Novell in Open Source Squeeze Play?”

Christian Nebergall on January 21st, 2011 2:59 pm

I am currently writing my senior thesis on the economics of open source software development. Do you think these companies are actually using open source to better their products? It seems to me that some are but some are just using it as a PR stunt or have different motives in mind. What I understand about open source is that a vendor needs to complement their proprietary code with something from OSS in order to increase the value of the product. Do you see this happening anywhere?
Stephen E. Arnold on January 23rd, 2011 9:27 am

Christian Nebergall,

Thanks for the questions. Perhaps one of my two or three readers can essay an answer.

Stephen E Arnold, January 23, 2011

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Stephen E. Arnold monitors search, content processing, text mining and related topics from his high-tech nerve center in rural Kentucky. He tries to winnow the goose feathers from the giblets. He works with colleagues worldwide to make this Web log useful to those who want to go "beyond search". Contact him at sa [at] arnoldit.com. His Web site with additional information about search is arnoldit.com.