* One reader's view of Novell and its push toward Linux
Besides these newsletters, I also write a column for the print edition of Network World called “Wired Windows.” In that column a couple of weeks ago, I reported on my experience at Converge ’05, a user conference put on by Courion for customers of its identity management software (see editorial link below).
The column was headlined “User project should send up red flags at Novell,” and in it I told of two different user presentations at the conference, from two different enterprises. Both indicated they had problems with Novell products, but in reality it seems it wasn’t a problem with NetWare or eDirectory, but in the understanding of how those products worked and a lack of experience with them on the part of the current IT staffs at the two Courion customer sites.
In response to that column, I got the following e-mail from a reader. It nails the problem Novell is currently facing in trying to move people from NetWare to Open Enterprise Server (OES) and Linux. Here’s what the reader had to say:
“I am a CNE 3,4,5,6 and I have really believed in Novell’s technology. As we all know, the techs of the world have not decided which technology a business uses but the managers have picked what’s best. This for the most part has led us to Microsoft, not that there’s anything wrong with that. Even as I continue to learn the Microsoft way, I still support my old reliable NetWare servers (some have 100% uptime for years). Our company is decommissioning the NetWare servers, and soon we will be an all-Microsoft shop. This same thing has or seems to be happening at most other companies.
“Novell is in the process of becoming a Linux company, and they want me to jump on the bandwagon. They want me to be able to use the NetWare features that I’m used to and just learn Linux but keep using the NetWare-type features. The problem I have with this is that I now have to learn a completely different type of [operating system]. Since all our workstations and other servers are Microsoft, I have a lot of Microsoft skills (I’m an MCSE 2000 and I’m working on my 2003 certification), so it’s far easier for me and the company to transition to Windows Server 2003 and Active Directory than to have everyone learn Linux.
“The bottom line is Novell seems to be pushing myself and other NetWare Techs in the direction of Microsoft. Some day I would like to learn Linux as well, but in order to keep my job I need to become stronger on my Microsoft skills.”
And that’s the nub of the problem: NetWare is going away and for many of us, the choice is between something we know (Windows) and something we don’t (Linux). Even if we’d prefer Linux, our organizations need to keep working at top productivity, which almost dictates that we go with what we already know while trying to find the time to learn something new.
OES seems to be the best path Novell can take as it blends the old (NetWare services and utilities) with the new (SuSE Linux core) in a way that allows us to keep going with what we know while we move to something new. But the “big boys,” the ones who make the decisions and sign the checks – do they see it that way? Tell me about your experiences with convincing upper management to go to OES. Tell me which arguments worked, and which didn’t, and we’ll share them (anonymously) so everyone can benefit.
