On Novell

What seems to be a very long time ago, I was a young, handsome college student working towards a degree in computer science in network technology.

OK, I was a young college student, let's leave it at that.

The de facto network Operating System that was all the craze way back in 1995 and 1996 was Novell NetWare.

Yes, it was technically referred to as a NOS, Network Operating System.

Microsoft was still in diapers just getting Windows 3 to 3.1 and 3.11 out. Before Windows, it was Microsoft DOS or Disk Operating System. Windows was just a program you installed over DOS back then. The point is, DOS and Windows, later known as Windows alone, were PC operating systems, meant to stand alone.

It was common, way back then, that you installed NetWare on your servers and DOS/Windows on the PC's. As a matter of fact, in the Novell NetWare books (monolithic suckers that weighed more than my car) it referred to working with DOS/Windows PC's specifically.

There was no GUI for Netware back then, it was all console/command line interaction. You installed it on machines the way people now install Linux as a server. Printer servers, file servers, dbase servers, authentication servers, etc...

Not on the PC desktop though. No point in it, that wasn't what it was made for.

Novell specialized in the networking/server side of the equation and excelled at it.

So, what happened? How did NetWare fall and Microsoft take it's place?

There are lots of pages of data and financial charts out there, enough to make your head explode.

My thinking, as a student and, over time, a person working in the field, what I saw is that people became absolutely fascinated with the world of GUI.

Novell was late to the game in terms of providing GUI tools. Novell did not get into the OEM game and unscrupulous contract deals that MS did either.

It is also of historic relevance that Novell was always known as a solid product. It worked.

They were never known for their marketing skills. Not way back then and not now. In terms of marketing, they are their own worst enemy.

I saw the expansion of Windows into the workplace as MS piggybacked on Novell Netware to get a foothold. Then, as per the typical MS way, once they were in, they said "screw you, Novell" and started working on their own server system.

One thing is true of MS back then as it is now, it was a server system, not a network system.

Networking had to be hacked into Windows. remember, it was originally designed to be a PC standalone system.

Ever since, no matter how much they hack it, it's still not as good as a true network OS.

You say "Look at MS server sales, it must be good" Actually, one thing is true about numbers, they will tell you anything you want them to.

Yes, MS server has outsold just about most any other server OS out there, but how did they do it? Like a cocaine dealer, that's how.

MS Windows Server is popular, but it is not the same as being good, now is it? Have Windows servers made any progress into being better? Absolutely, it has bought network tech companies and technologies to throw into the mix for that exact reason. They want to make it better, more secure, more stable.

Notice I said they want to, let's not get into how successful they are or aren't at accomplishing that.

Novell since then has found it's way to Linux, which is Unix based and, yes, by golly, also a 'true' network' Operating System. Amazing how Novell is pulled that way, you'd think they really know servers and networking or something.

Novell bought Suse Linux and offers a paid for version and a free community version.

Novell takes full advantage of the GUI tools that the Linux community has created and has even thrown their own programmers and coders into the fray, contributing software in their own right.

A veritable hero and champion of Open Source software, that was how Novell was seen for awhile.

Then,DUN DUN DUN!!!, came the Microsoft deal.

It was as if the Linux community had experienced ultimate betrayal. Novell, well, Novell wanted to make some money, once again, using Microsoft as a tag-a-long.

This time, Novell was hitchhiking with MS though.Lots of people are rightfully impressed with Linux capabilities and stability. Combine that with Novells reputation for network know how and you have something pretty interesting.

Novell wants in, they want to make money. They have shown they will make deals with the devil in order to do it. ( so to speak, at least, that's how MS is viewed in the Linux community.)

So much speculation has gone on around the water cooler though. Is Novell trying to pull a "Microsoft" and piggy back in like a good collaborator then BAM, stick it to the guy who got them in the door?

Questions abound, "Does Novell really think that Linux violates MS patents?" "Is Novell essentially admitting that Linux violates MS patents in the deal to sell To MS so MS can sell to customers?"

This just goes to show how bad at marketing Novell is. They went from OpenSource wonder to Proprietary villain overnight, by association.

I go on record, I like Novell. I know that Novell 'knows' networking and servers. The tools they provide are usually some of the best around.

I believe Novell needs to fire their entire marketing and sales staff and hire folks who know how to do it right.

There are bucktloads of money to be made using OpenSource by offering personalized, customized services and support surrounding a Linux based product.

I think Novell was trying to 'open doors' to get a foot back in the door to many server shops that went the MS way, when they inked that deal with MS.

I think they severely underestimated the Linux community backlash from associating with a proprietary company like Microsoft.

By and large, Novell is a 'geek' company. These are folks who know computers and networking inside and out, they eat servers for breakfast, but haven't got a clue in how to sustain sales and produce long term marketing plans.

I think long term revenues and financial growth shows just that. They do "O.K" but are always at the 'average' level, unless they get a boost from a huge money partner/customer, like Microsoft.

I think Novell has boatloads of potential.

If I could make one suggestion to Novell though.

Pull an Ubuntu. Make OpenSuse the one and only distro. Make it the best you can make it. Then build your support and services around that. If people want to use it on their own, let them. if they want official 'backup' they can come to you.

You have middleware products that have been made for making this kind of work easier to do. There is no law against selling an app. Sell it separate as a download. or, offer customized installs with the middleware pre-installed, again, you are only charging for the customizing and the middleware, not the OS itself.

Don't force people to pay for support unless they feel they need it or want it.

OK, that's more than one suggestion, but I think they could all be beneficial to Novell and to Linux in general.