Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Latest News
    • Servers

    Sun, Novell to Merge?

    Written by

    Peter Galli
    Published August 2, 2004
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.

      Sun Microsystems Inc. is considering making an attempt to acquire Novell Inc., a move that would have enormous repercussions for competitor IBM.

      In an interview with eWEEK, Sun President and Chief Operating Officer Jonathan Schwartz acknowledged that the Santa Clara, Calif., company is considering making a move to buy Novell, saying that such a move could ultimately force Big Blue to depend on Sun for its Linux operating system.

      /zimages/3/28571.gifRead why Linux & Open Source Editor Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols is telling Sun and IBM to quit their open-source posturing.

      “Now that the Linux movement in North America on the server side has become the Red Hat movement, IBM has a problem as the bulk of the Linux deployments in this country are on Red Hat,” Schwartz said.

      “Now that they [Red Hat] are supporting an application server, IBM now finds Red Hat competing against it in its installed base,” he said, referring to reports last week that Red Hat is expected to start selling a subscription service supporting an open-source Java application server.

      Those reports follow a Red Hat announcement earlier this year that it planned to start selling subscription services supporting Jonas, an open-source Java application server built by the French consortium ObjectWeb. Red Hat is planning on selling support services for Jonas at around $1,000 a year, sources said.

      “What would happen if Sun decided to acquire Novell? What would IBM do? If Red Hat is competing with them, they are left with only one choice: Novell SuSE Linux. And no matter how small a portion of the market SuSE represents, it runs on all of IBMs hardware. Sun could then end up as the owner of the operating system that runs IBMs mainframe. Wouldnt that be an interesting scenario?” Schwartz asked.

      He then went on to say that Sun had “never been more aware of IBMs dependence on SuSE Linux given Red Hats application server plans. I think that represents an extreme vulnerability for IBM that has not gone unnoticed at Sun,” Schwartz said.

      “But that competitive opportunity is very evident to us, and Im sure is evident to IBM. Hypothetically, if Sun were to acquire Novell, that would leave IBM dependent on Sun for its operating system, and what would happen when Sun then started offering upgrades off of SuSE onto Solaris? This would be a complete replay of the IBM/Microsoft Windows play in the 1980s. The difference between humans and white mice is that white mice learn from their mistakes. IBM has been down this path before,” Schwartz said.

      Asked whether IBM could outbid Sun in any possible deal for Novell, Schwartz said he was not sure that would be the case given how well-financed Sun is. “We have more cash on hand than IBM does. Novell is a public company, and public companies are always for sale, and its directors would have to be open to any such discussion should it ever happen,” he said.

      The current situation leaves IBM in a very precarious position and what “we have known all along that if we stay focused on performance and innovation, and with our plans to open-source Solaris we can now start moving to upgrade IBMs installed base off AIX or to HP-UX,” Schwartz said.

      /zimages/3/28571.gifCheck out eWEEK.coms Linux & Open Source Center at http://linux.eweek.com for the latest open-source news, reviews and analysis.

      /zimages/3/77042.gif

      Be sure to add our eWEEK.com Linux news feed to your RSS newsreader or My Yahoo page

      Peter Galli
      Peter Galli
      Peter Galli has been a technology reporter for 12 years at leading publications in South Africa, the UK and the US. He has comprehensively covered Microsoft and its Windows and .Net platforms, as well as the many legal challenges it has faced. He has also focused on Sun Microsystems and its Solaris operating environment, Java and Unix offerings. He covers developments in the open source community, particularly around the Linux kernel and the effects it will have on the enterprise. He has written extensively about new products for the Linux and Unix platforms, the development of open standards and critically looked at the potential Linux has to offer an alternative operating system and platform to Windows, .Net and Unix-based solutions like Solaris.

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Artificial Intelligence

      9 Best AI 3D Generators You Need...

      Sam Rinko - June 25, 2024 0
      AI 3D Generators are powerful tools for many different industries. Discover the best AI 3D Generators, and learn which is best for your specific use case.
      Read more
      Cloud

      RingCentral Expands Its Collaboration Platform

      Zeus Kerravala - November 22, 2023 0
      RingCentral adds AI-enabled contact center and hybrid event products to its suite of collaboration services.
      Read more
      Artificial Intelligence

      8 Best AI Data Analytics Software &...

      Aminu Abdullahi - January 18, 2024 0
      Learn the top AI data analytics software to use. Compare AI data analytics solutions & features to make the best choice for your business.
      Read more
      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Video

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2024 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×