Novell Chief Marketing Officer John Dragoon popped up in a surprising location this week. Dragoon, who also serves as Novell’s channel chief, wrote a column on Forbes.com. In it, Dragoon declares consumers will be the big winners in the operating system battles between Apple, Google, Microsoft and Linux. The column is an interesting read. And it begs the question: Is Novell prepping more SUSE Linux desktop and mobile moves? Here are some answers.
Novell is best known for SUSE Enterprise Linux’s position on corporate servers. Novell hasn’t really been known as a major desktop or mobile software provider. But Dragoon’s column waxes poetic about consumer and mobile trends — and a fundamental shift in the operating system market:
“Like Henry Ford’s famous line about the Model T car, “you can have any color you want as long as it’s black,” so it has been with operating system choice, with Windows being the default for most of us. So to say there’s a battle going on assumes that there’s a shift occurring in the enterprise and personal computing landscape; a shift that has fundamentally opened the door for new players to make their move.”
For the most part, Novell has been cooperating and competing with Microsoft on the server. But does Dragoon’s column lay the foundation for Novell to make more aggressive desktop and mobile Linux moves?
Hmmm. On the one hand, Novell is promoting ZenWorks as a way to assist Windows 7 deployments. But on the other hand, Novell has been taking a close look at Moblin (Mobile Linux) on netbooks and other mobile systems. Heck, Novell has even released MonoTouch, which allows .Net developers to write iPhone applications.
Yes indeed, Novell has dialed up the iPhone. The VAR Guy was surprised, too.
So in a way, the more Novell changes the more it stays the same. That long-standing commitment to competing and cooperating with Windows remains in place. Only, the competition seems to be moving beyond the server and onto the desktop and mobile devices.
Dragoon was careful not to pitch Novell’s products and services in that Forbes.com column. But his words speak volumes: As the operating system battle between Apple, Google, Microsoft and Linux continues, Novell wants more mind share and market share with customers. Even desktop and mobile customers.
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Tags: Google Chrome | Novell Channel Chief John Dragoon | Novell Chief Marketing Officer John Dragoon | Novell iPhone | Novell Moblin | Novell MonoTouch | SUSE Linux Desktop | SUSE Linux Enterprise | SUSE Linux PC | Windows 7 Migrations | Windows 7 Zenworks
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Did you notice in your “operating system battle” that 3 of the 4 are Linux/Unix based v. Windows? Novell has put most of its emphasis on a robust Linux server, which they have in SLES. Their corporate desktop (SLED) gets less attention but works fine…I’ve been using it for years now but it doesn’t get a lot of respect or generate much buzz.
I think Novell should eliminate their subscription charge for SLED and charge only for support…the same way Ubuntu treats their Linux desktop. Ubuntu has become a quality Linux desktop and is easily the “Linux desktop of choice” for a lot of users. Novell has let Ubuntu capture most of the Linux desktop market by being too costly compared to Ubuntu.
No doubt Novell with get on with their Mobile Linux and phone related plays…why not? They have an excellent distribution and should always be looking for new ways to utilize their OS stack like they recently did with SLES JeOS (Just enough Operating System) for application developers.
Whatever Novell intends to do to give their SLED desktop some momentum, they should do it soon. Google will deliver Chrome OS next year and it will suck a lot of air out of the Linux desktop discussion. Ubuntu will likely survive but Novell needs to move fast or SLED could die from asphyxiation.
Tim wessels
Both Operating systems by Google, Android and Chrome OS, are based on the Linux kernel.
Andoid is a Java/Linux platform.
Chrome OS is a front end based on the Chrome browser on top of a Linux Kernel.
Tim: Very interesting perspectives. And your thoughts on JeOS and Google Chrome caught The VAR Guy’s attention. Please keep our resident blogger posted as you consider your own moves in 2010…
Gavin: Our resident blogger is curious to see just how real the Chrome OS will be over the next few months.
Novell would be happy if the proprietary world thought of them as mostly proprietary and that the Open Source world thinking them to be mostly Open Source. They will play this game until a winner is clear. By then, I suspect, they will have earned the disdain of both worlds.
Linux and Open Source are DOA. The future belongs to Microsoft and Apple. Deal with it, zealots.
Wayne: The VAR Guy will agree with you in one area… a lot of open source companies are going to die/implode because they aren’t providing enough value to drive subscriptions.
However, have you checked Red Hat’s quarterly revenues and profits lately? Novell’s growing Linux revenue? Buzz about Digium and Alfresco being profitable?
There are plenty of examples of profitable open source companies.
Linux DESKTOP at present state will NEVER capture more than 1-3 % market share. For average user it is just too buggy. Same applies to all open source software that runs on Linux desktop.
I run lot of various Linux desktop distributions from DVD-Rom that had been downloaded as ISOs and haven’t found ONE that works properly. That is not software for consumers. ALL Linux distros and software are just lousy beta programs.
Some Linux distros are better looking than even Mac (SIMPLYMephis, Dreamlinux, Mandriva) but they are just too buggy. Lot of small things make user finally decide that they are just recreational products.
Warren from SIMPLYMephis – buddy there is no support for yr product. It is therefore going just nowhere. You don’t give support any more and my question on linuxquestions.com gets buried after 5 minutes of posting with 300 other questions.
LinuxMint – yr support for Flash stinks.
Mandriva – 100 small things get me pissed off very quick.
CentOS – I can not even try yt LiveCD because you require password that I can not find anywhere.
Linus if you read this you got nice job and surrounded yourself with ass kissers to tell you how good you are and how bad MS and Apple are which is not true. You and yr people do nothing to fix any bugs in kernel. Hardware recognition stinks. Bugs are never fixed. Just remain in each new version of kernel you release.
LINUX MUST ALLOW COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT OTHERWISE IT WILL REMAIN THE SAME.
WISH I DO NOT HAVE TO BUY ANY MS OR APPLE PRODUCTS BUT THERE IS JUST NO WAY TO DO IT.
Apple is Rolls-Royce MS is Cadillac and Linux is just second hand 10 years old Buick.
Want to make correction. OpenSUSE works good. It is the best Linux distribution. Rock solid. All problems I had were caused by buggy Linux kernel. Does not get enough recognition and I want to do it. Their only mistake is not including some really popular programs like BOINC. Ubuntu gets all the press and OpenSUSE runs circles around Ubuntu.
Fedora comes after OpenSUSE. Their biggest problems comes from their narrow mind by not including ANY proprietary standard like Flash etc.
Average computer user is spoiled. Wants that distributor already did all job for them.
No wonder both have parents in big corporations – Novell and Red Hat.
Some distros like Dreamlinux just over complicate things. Why I need password to change date/time ? Just keep it simple and you’ll be good.
Once again my hat down to OpenSUSE. You’re for me the best.
Ah, the trolls. Feed the trolls, tuppence a pair.