Red Hat Dismissing Microsoft, Oracle 41
Robert writes to tell us Red Hat's CEO Matthew Szulik is encouraging customers to take Microsoft up on their support voucher offer for Novell's rival Linux system in order to "get the issue over with." Dismissing the impact that the Microsoft-Novell deal has had on business, Szulik is just happy to see customers taking Microsoft's money. "Szulik also dismissed Oracle Corp's attempt to under-cut it on Linux support on similar grounds, insisting that customers were unlikely to be convinced by cost savings that are a small percentage of their overall software spend."
Re:Oracle Support of Linux is a good thing (Score:4, Informative)
My boss attended the last OpenWorld and had a much different opinion than your own. We (web developers) actually had to convince him not to change our current software stack out for their "Red Stack." It consisted of Red Hat Linux with Apache, PHP and Oracle DB but here's the real kicker: as long as we ran on Oracle's "Red Stack" they would support our custom PHP code with everything else. They are supporting more than Oracle DB - they're supporting the whole webserver stack as well as any code you write on that stack - so I would have to disagree with you on the impact of this issue.
Re:Oracle Support of Linux is a good thing (Score:2, Informative)
I started my career in IT installing a NetWare server in a trucking company that had previously used Wyse terminals connected to an IBM big-iron box in the early 90s. During most of the 90s I worked on Novell NetWare networks in companies like Westinghouse, Bank of America, GTE, Marriott Intl., etc. It was only when Windows 2000 came out that the customers I worked with started leaving the NetWare fold. Even now, I just finished a gig with a municipality helping them finish their transition from NetWare to 2003 Server. And, in 2007, they still have not migrated away from GroupWise.
So, though NetWare is a legacy product, Novell is very well know, and, in many cases liked, by corporate IT managers. I have very fond memories of using tools like ZenWorks to roll out hundreds of Windows 98 clients with little hands-on effort while RIS and SMS were just a gleam in Mr. Balmer's eye. Though I have no data to support it, I would be willing to bet that Novell has a lot more brand recognition than Red Hat in the enterprise market.