Microsoft, Novell partner on historic Windows, Linux interoperability deal

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In terms of interoperability, the two said they would jointly develop a virtualization offering for both Linux and Windows that would allow either to be the host or guest operating system.

In terms of management, the two said they would make it easier for users to manage Windows and SuSE Linux environments, including making it easier to federate Microsoft’s Active Directory and Novell’s eDirectory. Those platforms form the core of each vendor’s identity management platforms.

While the pair did not go into specifics, it is clear the interoperability will happen between Novell’s ZenWorks management platform and Microsoft’s family of System Center products.

In the area of document format compatibility the two will focus on interoperability between Microsoft’s Office and OpenOffice, which ships with Novell’s SuSE Linux Enterprise Desktop software. They also will focus on developing translators to improve interoperability between OpenXML from Microsoft and the Open Document Format, which is widely embraced in the open source community.

In addition, Microsoft said it will work with Novell and contribute to several open source software projects, including those focused on Office file formats and Web services management.

The two new partners plan to create a joint research facility staffed by Microsoft and Novell technical experts who can build and test software and work with customers.

The agreement won praise from other vendors across the industry including Intel, AMD, IBM, HP, Dell, HP, and SAP.