Novell is to use newly acquired systems management tools
instead of its own ZENworks technology in a Linux software package
due to go into open beta testing next month.
The announcement was made at the company's BrainShare Europe
2003 conference in Barcelona, and Novell officials said the Red
Carpet tools developed by Ximian, which Novell bought last month,
will be included in the Nterprise Linux Services 1.0 bundle.
Red Carpet offers capabilities such as automated distribution of
software updates and patches to servers. The bundle will also
include file, print, messaging and directory services.
Novell had announced in June that ZENworks would be the
management tool in the Nterprise Linux Services package. "ZENworks
would have worked, but our engineers found Red Carpet was closer to
meeting the needs of our customers," said Novell spokesman Kevin
Barney.
At BrainShare, Novell also announced a suite of networking
software for branch offices and upgrades of its web application
development and single sign-on products.
Several users in the US said they were pleased to see Novell
moving forward with its Linux strategy, which is intended
eventually to result in the full NetWare services stack being made
available on Linux systems, although some were concerned at the
decision to drop NetWare.
Yankee Group analyst Laura DiDio described Novell's Linux
strategy as a "me too" initiative that might not be as attractive
as using software from more established Linux suppliers such as Red
Hat or IBM.
She added that Novell has had trouble selling its software to
large businesses in recent years. "Novell has the Midas touch in
reverse: They take gold and turn it into dust."
In response, Novell director of product marketing Richard Maddox
said his company is counting on Linux to help it rebound. "There
might have been truth to the loss of enterprise customers, but
since we announced Linux, we are slowing that down," he claimed.
"Linux will bring us to a brand-new world."
Matt Hamblen writes for Computerworld