Microsoft wises up as enterprise Linux goes mainstream
Linux can now be thought of as a mainstream operating system. It’s used everywhere, from home and enterprise systems to powerful supercomputers. Many companies have adopted Linux systems, generally citing cost savings, system stability, better security and access to the source code.
It was back in 2006 when Microsoft realised that it could do absolutely nothing to stem the tide and entered into partnership with Novell, the first time that the company had collaborated directly with a Linux and open-source vendor. Microsoft and Novell stated in a joint open letter that Linux was an important part of IT’s future, and that Microsoft would not assert its patents against individual or non-commercial developers.
The partnership made it much easier for companies to have a ‘dual strategy’. The letter said: “Why is Microsoft doing this? Because they recognise that customers today are deploying mixed source solutions - Windows and Linux - and they want these solutions to work well together.”
The open-source community initially viewed the deal with suspicion, but the partnership has been going for nearly five years and has seen some degree of success.
“The relationship has substantially benefited Microsoft’s Linux integration story, and has driven Linux revenue for Novell,” said Jay Lyman, a 451 Group analyst.
Sean McCarry, Novell’s UK and Ireland country manager, quoted recent IDC figures suggesting that around 67 per cent of the enterprise market is looking at a Windows/Linux strategy in the datacentre. He also revealed that Novell saw 80 per cent growth in its Linux revenues last year in the UK alone.
“It’s very topical, because the only two operating systems growing at the moment worldwide are Windows and Linux,” McCarry said.
Novell uses SUSE Enterprise Linux, a distribution that allows for mixed Linux and Windows computing. Aimed very much at the business market, it is targeted at servers, workstations and mainframes, and can also be installed on desktop computers.
“Either SUSE can be the guest on Windows, or Windows can be the guest on SUSE. It makes sense that customers want that interoperability,” said McCarry.
Microsoft pushes its customers in this direction if they want to go Linux, and McCarry said that the growth Novell has seen is “very much Microsoft pushing SUSE Linux to some of their large customers”.
Major organisations like Deutsche Bank, HM Revenue & Customs and BAA have moved to SUSE Enterprise Linux, and companies are also moving from Novell’s enterprise Linux competitor Red Hat to Novell, partly owing to the Microsoft connection, claimed McCarry.
“One of the biggest wins we had last year was with Experian. It migrated from Red Hat to Novell because of the Microsoft relationship, for cost implications and the technical performance issues, though Red Hat will say one thing and we would say another,” he said.
Another example was in 2007, when Microsoft provided HSBC with support subscriptions to SUSE Linux Enterprise Server. HSBC said that it reduced the cost of Linux ownership and improved interoperability with its existing Windows infrastructure.
Matthew O’Neill, group head of distributed systems for HSBC global IT operations, said at the time that the Microsoft-Novell agreement “is a great catalyst to helping us reduce the complexity of our Linux environment as we standardise our Linux infrastructure with SUSE Linux Enterprise and continue to extend the use of Microsoft Active Directory”
Sharing is sexyIt was back in 2006 when Microsoft realised that it could do absolutely nothing to stem the tide and entered into partnership with Novell, the first time that the company had collaborated directly with a Linux and open-source vendor. Microsoft and Novell stated in a joint open letter that Linux was an important part of IT’s future, and that Microsoft would not assert its patents against individual or non-commercial developers.
The partnership made it much easier for companies to have a ‘dual strategy’. The letter said: “Why is Microsoft doing this? Because they recognise that customers today are deploying mixed source solutions - Windows and Linux - and they want these solutions to work well together.”
The open-source community initially viewed the deal with suspicion, but the partnership has been going for nearly five years and has seen some degree of success.
“The relationship has substantially benefited Microsoft’s Linux integration story, and has driven Linux revenue for Novell,” said Jay Lyman, a 451 Group analyst.
Sean McCarry, Novell’s UK and Ireland country manager, quoted recent IDC figures suggesting that around 67 per cent of the enterprise market is looking at a Windows/Linux strategy in the datacentre. He also revealed that Novell saw 80 per cent growth in its Linux revenues last year in the UK alone.
“It’s very topical, because the only two operating systems growing at the moment worldwide are Windows and Linux,” McCarry said.
Novell uses SUSE Enterprise Linux, a distribution that allows for mixed Linux and Windows computing. Aimed very much at the business market, it is targeted at servers, workstations and mainframes, and can also be installed on desktop computers.
“Either SUSE can be the guest on Windows, or Windows can be the guest on SUSE. It makes sense that customers want that interoperability,” said McCarry.
Microsoft pushes its customers in this direction if they want to go Linux, and McCarry said that the growth Novell has seen is “very much Microsoft pushing SUSE Linux to some of their large customers”.
Major organisations like Deutsche Bank, HM Revenue & Customs and BAA have moved to SUSE Enterprise Linux, and companies are also moving from Novell’s enterprise Linux competitor Red Hat to Novell, partly owing to the Microsoft connection, claimed McCarry.
“One of the biggest wins we had last year was with Experian. It migrated from Red Hat to Novell because of the Microsoft relationship, for cost implications and the technical performance issues, though Red Hat will say one thing and we would say another,” he said.
Another example was in 2007, when Microsoft provided HSBC with support subscriptions to SUSE Linux Enterprise Server. HSBC said that it reduced the cost of Linux ownership and improved interoperability with its existing Windows infrastructure.
Matthew O’Neill, group head of distributed systems for HSBC global IT operations, said at the time that the Microsoft-Novell agreement “is a great catalyst to helping us reduce the complexity of our Linux environment as we standardise our Linux infrastructure with SUSE Linux Enterprise and continue to extend the use of Microsoft Active Directory”
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