Novell has sold 21,000 subscriptions for its SUSE Linux
Enterprise Server during the first quarter ended 31 January, as the
company attempts to move beyond traditional NetWare products to
open source.
"We still have work ahead of us as we continue to reposition the
company in our growth markets," said Jack Messman, Novell chief
executive officer.
While its Linux business is growing, Novell is hoping the
recently launched Open Enterprise Server, which combines its
established NetWare networking software with SUSE Linux, will boost
sales further.
Novell’s Linux business is still dwarfed by that of major
competitor Red Hat, which sold more than 130,000 subscriptions to
Red Hat Enterprise Linux in its last reported quarter.
For the quarter Novell saw total sales reach £161.1m, up from
the £148.3m a year ago. Profits, however, fell from £6.1m to
£5.5m.
