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Twice a week, noted Network World columnist Dave Kearns brings you Novell NetWare news, notes, facts, figures, brickbats and bouquets.

Dave Kearns

Novell-Microsoft deal: Does it favor network and IT managers?

The Novell-Microsoft deal continues to be a major topic of conversation

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The Novell-Microsoft deal of a couple of weeks ago continues to be the major topic of conversation among Novell fans as well as those who follow Open Source Software. And rightly so as this is a major event on many different levels. There are parts of the agreement that favor Microsoft and parts that favor Novell. But what about the rest of us? Is there anything in it that really favors network and IT managers?

- What do you think the deal means? Discuss.

Some will point to the agreement for joint effort to produce compatible virtual platforms so that Linux can run on Windows and Windows can run on Linux. But that’s not really anything new. VMware has done both for many years. Microsoft’s Virtual Server and Novell’s Xen are currently delivering that functionality. The joint development effort should help smooth out any rough edges, but it’s not a big deal.

No, to me, the biggest things for you and me in the agreement are:

* “Web services for managing physical and virtual servers. Web services and service-oriented architectures continue to be one of the defining ways software companies can deliver greater value to customers. Microsoft and Novell will undertake work to make it easier for customers to manage mixed Windows and SUSE Linux Enterprise environments and to make it easier for customers to federate Microsoft Active Directory with Novell eDirectory.”

Dave Kearns is a writer and consultant in Silicon Valley. He's written a number of books including the (sadly) now out of print "Peter Norton's Complete Guide to Networks." His musings can be found at Virtual Quill.

Kearns is the author of two Network World Newsletters: Windows Networking Strategies, and Identity Management. Comments about these newsletters should be sent to him at these respective addresses: windows@vquill.com, identity@vquill.com .

Kearns provides content services to network vendors: books, manuals, white papers, lectures and seminars, marketing, technical marketing and support documents. Virtual Quill provides "words to sell by..." Find out more by e-mail.

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