Linux buoys up Novell earnings, Aug 31, 2009

Novell's Linux business is keeping the company buoyant in trying economic times, the company's third-quarter earnings indicate.

Google's revelation that it will create its own operating system will bring just one reaction from operating system enthusiasts worldwide. "Not another Linux distribution," they'll cry.

According to Mahatma Gandhi: "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win."* So by that reckoning, it must be pretty much 'job done' for free software.

Suse Linux and Windows will become more closely integrated next week, when Novell releases a product allowing Microsoft management tools to monitor the open source operating system.

Microsoft's new entry-level server edition, Windows Server 2008 Foundation, is aimed squarely at Linux, and the software giant says its "simplicity" is expected to give it the edge over Linux as the choice server OS for the small business segment.

Canonical has begun beta-testing a file-synchronization service called Ubuntu One for its Ubuntu Linux desktop operating system.

The "open" characteristic of open source tools helps enhance, rather than complicate, the teaching process, say its exponents.

If the patents at the heart of Microsoft's action against TomTom are the best the company can do, little wonder the company has declined to identify those at the heart of its Linux threats.

Openness will become a key criterion for handset vendors as they develop strategies to help them maximize revenues while reducing costs, reveals a new report by Informa Telecoms & Media.

Recently, the Android OS backed by Google was unofficially ported to an Asus Eee PC netbook, and according to online reports, the Taiwanese manufacturer has set up a team to develop a netbook running on the Linux-based OS.

Open source software (OSS) has gained a reputation for being more secure than proprietary software, but some experts disagree with such a broad generalization.

It is common for the open source community to be called upon by vendors--including proprietary vendors--to be beta testers for Linux releases, according to an industry player.

In a few years' time, almost all businesses will use open source, according to Gartner; even though IT managers may be unaware of it, and prefer to talk about fashions such as software as a service.

In October I discussed the way people tend to misinterpret phishing botnet statistics. The key point was that people saw that many of the phishing Web sites were on Linux servers, and somehow leaped to the conclusion this meant Linux desktops were parts of the botnets sending out phishing emails.

British Airways (BA) has set up a special innovation unit to explore ways the airline can use web 2.0, shareware and open source technologies.

In a role created for him in February this year, Red Hat's president for the Asia-Pacific region is vocal about the power of "talent attracting talent" which, he believes, is vital to growing the business.

Almost a year on from the release of Microsoft's Windows Vista, only 13 percent of companies say they expect to move all desktops to the operating system, according to a survey released this week. Furthermore, adoption of Linux continues to gather pace, with a particular emphasis on the desktop emerging.

The Software Freedom Law Center (SFLC) said it has filed suit against two companies for allegedly violating the General Public License, which covers usage of Linux and thousands of other free and open source products.

Novell Suse Linux is positioning itself to be the corporate Linux of choice for today's multi-OS corporation thanks to a series of agreements with companies such as SAP and Microsoft.

Novell says its Linux business has grown by 243 percent over the last three quarters, and it largely credits its deal with Microsoft.