Open Sources | Rodrigues & Urlocker » The appearance of support

January 23, 2007 | Comments: (0)

The appearance of support

TAGS: Open Source

So, now Wal-Mart is allegedly supporting the Novell-Microsoft pact.

But how real is the support? As Mary Jo Foley points out, the announcement is a bit fishy on a number of different levels. One that she doesn't mention, but which I know from personal experience, is that Wal-Mart is keenly interested in open source, on a range of different levels (a href="http://www.theserverside.com/news/thread.tss?m=c.reply&thread_id=43851#225713">here's one). Not Microsoft-sponsored open source (Novell style), but open open source. Including expanded use of Red Hat Enterprise Linux.

I guess Red Hat didn't get the Microsoft-sponsored press release. But it's getting the Wall Street-sponsored market-beating financial results. I know which I'd rather have....

You really have to wonder why Novell has to rely on Microsoft's COO to sell its software, and why it would possibly entrust its corporate future to its biggest competitor. Sure, Novell sees this as an expedient way to bump off Red Hat and will deal with Microsoft later. Right. Novell's track record of beating Microsoft is...not so good. Letting them sell Novell's product on Microsoft's terms is a recipe for bankruptcy (as well it should be - Microsoft is doing what it's supposed to do: kill competitors).

Eventually, Novell will recognize this. But it will be too late. In the meantime, it's nice to see that Microsoft's COO hasn't lost his Wal-Mart friends (he was CIO there, of course, before he joined Microsoft). It's important to call a favor now and again. Whatever smoke and mirrors it takes to get by. :-)

Posted by Matt Asay on January 23, 2007 02:26 PM

RATE THIS ARTICLE: