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Novell-Microsoft interoperability push

The vendors jointly defended their technology pack at Novell’s BrainShare user conference.

By Deni Connor, Network World, 03/22/07

SALT LAKE CITY -- After years of hostility, Novell welcomed Microsoft for the first time to its annual BrainShare user conference to discuss implications of the vendors’controversial technology interoperability agreement.

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“I will tell you as the CEO of this corporation, it was done for one reason, and that was for the customers," said Ron Hovsepian, Novell’s CEO and president, at Tuesday’s event. "We can make up all the noise we want around the edge of this thing, but it was all about driving customers … to make their lives easier and to deliver interoperability."

Hovsepian outlined the scope of the agreement, and Novell’s new commitment to interoperability, to approximately 5,000 attendees.

“That doesn’t mean that I don’t want you to build your footprints over in the J2EE environment – I do – but when we get done with that fight with Microsoft in your office, we’re both going to get together and help you deliver that footprint,” Hovsepian said.

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Product roundup
In between discussions about its Microsoft pact, Novell unveiled some new and upgraded products at its BrainShare user conference last week.

Product	Details
SUSE Linux Enterprise 10 Service Pack 1	Public beta available with enhancements in virtualization, high-performance computing, security, interoperability and system management. General availability expected this summer.
SUSE Linux Enterprise Thin Client Service Pack 1	Partner-customizable version of SUSE Linux adds enterprise desktop virtualization, performance, security, interoperability, system management features.
Open Enterprise Server 2	OES provides Novell services on SUSE Linux Enterprise; NetWare virtualized as a guest operating system on SUSE. Enhancements include Dynamic Storage Technology and 64-bit application support. Public beta available; general availability expected this summer.
Novell Teaming, Novell Teaming + Conferencing	New workspace collaboration products let users create online workspaces and invite other members to participate.
Identity Manager 3.5	Enhancements to existing identity-management product include improved credential provisioning, faster deployment of users.
Sentinel 6.0	Enhancements to the security information and event-management product include automated real-time monitoring, tools for identifying and remediating security incidents, regulatory compliance documentation.
Novell ZENworks 7.2 Linux Management	New product manages SUSE Linux Enterprise 0 and Red Hat Enterprise Linux environments, provides policy-based life-cycle management.

According to the agreement, Novell and Microsoft will pursue interoperability in four areas: virtualization, Web services-based management, directory and identity interoperability, and document format compatibility. Throughout this year the two vendors will introduce technology that lets SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10 run as a guest operating system on Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2 Service Pack 1 and Longhorn, and lets Longhorn run as a paravirtualized guest on SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10, using the Xen hypervisor.