Javier Colado, Novell’s new channel chief (pictured), faces some clear challenges. Many pundits say Colado has to strengthen Novell’s SUSE Linux partner ranks. But in reality, The VAR Guy believes, Colado has to build a bridge between vastly different software islands. Here’s why.
Sure, you know Novell has been gaining some momentum with SUSE Linux and the company has recruited more than 2,000 ISVs (independent software vendors) to back SUSE Linux. And that momentum will continue this week when Novell participates in Lenovo’s first server announcements at Interop.
Now, the challenges. Novell also offers identity management, security, systems management, collaboration and virtualization software. It’s clear how certain components — such as virtualization and Linux — complement each other. But Novell must find a way to cross-train and certify the bulk of its partners across all of those product sets.
Rival Red Hat has found a successful one-two punch with open source operating systems (Linux) and open source middleware (JBoss). Yes, Red Hat stumbled quite a bit initially after acquiring JBoss, but recent quarterly results suggest the JBoss acquisition is now paying dividends.
How does that compare at Novell? Chief Marketing Officer John Dragoon says the goal is to make SUSE Linux the most manageable, scalable, reliable platform to the desktop to the data center. Verbally, he connects the dots between Novell’s disparate products. And he notes that Novell’s security and identity management sales have been strong.
But The VAR Guy wonders: How many Novell solutions providers can build bridges between SUSE Linux, identity and security management, systems management, collaboration and virtualization?Until those individual products come together as true solutions, the Novell “whole” will remain weaker than its parts.
CEO’s Right-Hand Man
Colado, named to the channel chief position on Sept. 12, reports directly to CEO Ron Hovsepian — meaning that channel sales are a strategic priority within Novell’s executives ranks. According to a Novell statement:
Since 2006 Colado has served as Novell area general manager and vice president for western Europe, Middle East, and Africa where he was responsible for all operations, sales and marketing. Prior to Novell, Colado held senior executive positions with McAfee and Lucent Technologies, where he helped spearhead business partner and channel strategy and sales.
Now it’s up to Colado to tell partners how Novell’s various products fit together.
Read More About This Topic
Share This Post
Tags: RHEL
Interact: Add a Comment | Trackback Link | Permalink
Subscribe: RSS Feed
I think you are absolutely right. I work in a “classic” Novell environment at my job (Netware + Groupwise + eDirectory). I keep waiting for SLES/SLED to have tightly integrated support for these things, but what they offer is pathetic. There is limited support for eDirectory configuration tools under Linux (ConsoleOne for Linux is a waste of time, there are no plugins for the most important parts of the network), and trying getting any Linux service to authenticate against eDirectory requires an intimate understanding of the underlying LDAP (in other words, it’s no easier than using Active Directory and Linux). I could list dozens of tasks that are impossible or much harder than they should be under Linux with respect to working with a Novell network, but I think the point is made.
I tried to pick some Novell brains about how it all fits together, but nobody can really tell me. They’ve got to get things integrated if they really want to capture the market.
Alan: Lack of integration — perceived or real — is costing NOVL business. A prime example: The VAR Guy knows of at least one major US broadband provider that is moving away from GroupWise and other NOVL offerings because the GroupWise releases have more features on Windows Server and fewer features on Novell’s own SUSE Linux.
The broadband provider has decided to standardize on a complete Microsoft .Net environment with Exchange instead.
In short, Novell has to become its own best ISV for SUSE Linux — fast.
As a systems integrator/VAR, I like the resume. What is it with all this talk about SUSE Linux and other nonsense about product positioning, etc. This is the Channel Chief. What is he going to do to increase redbox sales? Is he going to widen the net by going after the SMB resellers and the small integrators, and if so how? I have heard on the boards here that noone makes a margin on the O/S, so I guess that means we really don’t need to sell it. Maybe it ‘sells’ itself.
And if he intends to employ more soldiers to his cause, is he prepared to pay for the service? And if so, how much? (because getting the sale is the MOST IMPORTANT JOB) People duck and despise salespeople, especially me when they call my home late at night, but without salespeople we would still be powering cars with our bare feet and ordering dinosaur ribs at the local drive-in.
The selling component is the most important component to selling ANY product. Sales people need to get paid, otherwise they find something else to sell. What are you going to pay me? I’ll listen, but I won’t listen long if it doesn’t excite me.
@HurdyGurdy: Your points are well-taken. During meetings at Novell about two weeks, ago Chief Marketing Officer John Dragoon described why the position would likely go to a sales leader. The reasons you mention parallel Novell’s thought process for naming Colado to this post.
However, The VAR Guy still thinks Novell has to show more synergies between its product lines.
The biggest problem with Novell is that they do not get Linux. It does not help that their SUSE offering is unreliable crap. They are trying to GUIize everything and it is killing system reliability and flexibility.
If Novell would just support Linux (let me choose the flavour, SUSE or Red Hat or Debian) they would be much better off.
Oh and have you tried to get any other Novell software to work together? It has all gone downhill since they outsourced they development to India.
@Jay: It’s fine to share opinions about Novell SUSE Linux (pro and con). But calling SUSE “unreliable crap” seems like a stretch to The VAR Guy. Got any real-world experience to back that up?
I just confirmed that there is no money in selling Novell software. It is too difficult to sell Novell at the street price and make any money on the software sale. Do you think they are ever going to get around to fixing this problem? They have had this same problem over the last decade.
Their software is not going to ‘sell itself’ in my accountbase, so it is not anything I really need to worry about, but will selling their software ever be profitable again, as it was in the 2.x, 3.x and 4.x days, for the SMB reseller? We will have to wait and see.
In the meantime, there are more profitable options for operating systems and email platforms in the marketplace, so we plan to continue to focus on these, instead.