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- Oracle names Unbreakable Linux customers
- SAP CEO dismisses potential for open source apps
- Oracle shows Microsoft how a patent covenant should look
- Hovsepian’s regrets nothing while Steinman apologizes
- Reserving judgement on Unbreakable Linux
- SugarCRM considers move to GPL v3
- TCO versus TIO: a simple diagram
- Oracle to break its Unbreakable silence
- Follow an open source migration as it happens
- Yes, sometimes Linux costs more than Windows
- QualiPSo sings the praises of open source
- Microsoft/Novell patent deal – a customer doesn’t speak
- 'Legitimate concerns' - a non-correction
- BMC's new open source whurley gig
- The value of regulation in a monopoly market
- Tory Party promises an open source Biritain, if elected*
- Dell’s desktop Linux in an infinite loop
- Introducing Ovum's open source reports
- Open source with a difference
- The EnterpriseDB debate – some insight from the top
Open Source Blog: March 2007 Archives
Oracle names Unbreakable Linux customers
March 29, 2007
After my earlier cynicism I have to acknowledge Oracle’s publication of no fewer than 26 customers for its Unbreakable Linux support offering (this is becoming a habit).
SAP CEO dismisses potential for open source apps
March 28, 2007
Following up on her recent meeting with SugarCRM, my colleague Angela Eager asked SAP CEO Henning Kagermann about the potential impact of open source on his company’s business.
According to Kagermann, there isn’t one.
Oracle shows Microsoft how a patent covenant should look
March 27, 2007
I’ve voiced my skepticism about Oracle’s Unbreakable Linux proposition and Larry Ellison’s attitude towards open source in the past, but there are signs that the company is making an effort to become a better open source citizen.
The latest is that it has become a licensee of the Open Invention Network, the open source patent stockpiling and sharing initiative formed by IBM, Red Hat, Novell, Sony and Philips in late 2005.
Whatever your stance on software patents, the fact is that they are an issue that has to be dealt with. Oracle’s license with the OIN proves that there is a way to reach a patent peace with Linux without dividing the Linux community.
Hovsepian’s regrets nothing while Steinman apologizes
March 22, 2007
Over at eWeek, Pater Galli has an interesting interview with Novell’s CEO, Ron Hovsepian, from BrainShare (I was unfortunately unable to go this year due to family commitments) which sheds some interesting light on the patent deal with Microsoft.
While Hovsepian says he has nothing to regret, another Novell employee has been forced to apologize for inaccurate statements made about Novell’s involvement with the Free Software Foundation.
Reserving judgement on Unbreakable Linux
March 21, 2007
Earlier this week I wrote that Oracle's third quarter financial results might enable us to judge the success - or otherwise - of its Unbreakable Linux program.
Unfortunately it seems I was wrong.
SugarCRM considers move to GPL v3
Following Alfresco’s move from a MPL+ Attribution license to the GPL comes the news that SugarCRM is considering doing the same.
My colleague Angela Eager sat down with Sugar’s CEO, John Roberts, and got the details on a move that could potentially put an end to the suggestions that SugarCRM is not a true open source vendor.
TCO versus TIO: a simple diagram
March 20, 2007
Stephen Walli has a very simple diagram that demonstrates the difference between focusing on total cost of ownership, versus the total innovation opportunity of open source, comparing the focus of Red Hat versus Novell/Microsoft as an example.
Source: Stephen Walli, click on the image for the original, larger version.
Oracle to break its Unbreakable silence
March 19, 2007
Oracle will announce details of its third quarter financial results tomorrow, which could/should provide us with a rare insight into how the company’s Unbreakable Linux plan is faring.
Compared to the noise Microsoft and Novell have been making about landing customers for their Linux support coupon deal, it is interesting to note how quiet Oracle has been.
Perhaps that’s because, according to data from Pacific Crest analyst Brendan Barnicle, it has persuaded only two customers to switch from other vendors.
Follow an open source migration as it happens
March 16, 2007
Mercian Labels is a UK-based SME specializing in custom printed self-adhesive labels for businesses. In late 2006 the company got fed up with “viruses, software problems and perpetual maintenance issues” associated with its Windows environment and decided to move to open source alternatives.
Finding a dearth of SME open source adoption case studies and information, the company has decided to launch a blog about its experiences, written by managing director Adrian Steele.
Yes, sometimes Linux costs more than Windows
There’s a bit of a fuss going on in the blogoshere about the fact that Novell has endorsed the statement by HSBC that its Windows systems were cheaper to manage than its Linux systems ahead of its plan to standardize on SUSE Linux.
I’ve said before that there is much to be wary of in the Microsoft/Novell deal but on this occasion I have to say that the Linux and open source supporters have picked the wrong battle.
QualiPSo sings the praises of open source
March 15, 2007
Today saw the launch of a new global initiative to promote the use of open source software by businesses, governments, and academia in Europe, Brazil and China.
Funded by the European Commission, the QualiPSo project is, in the European context, designed to “make open source a formidable lever to strengthen Europe’s competitiveness, accelerate ICT growth, and implement the i2010 policy for growth and jobs.”
Microsoft/Novell patent deal – a customer doesn’t speak
March 14, 2007
I recently asked for any Novell or Microsoft customers that feel that their patent covenant agreement gives them peace of mind to step forward and explain to me how the Microsoft/Novell patent deal doesn’t stink?*
Yesterday I got the chance to find out as HSBC, the latest company to accept Microsoft’s offer of SUSE Linux Enterprise Server support certificates, was kind enough to explain its reasons for signing up to the deal.
'Legitimate concerns' - a non-correction
I just noticed that Microsoft's director of corporate standards, Jason Matusow, has published a clarification of a recent story I wrote about Open XML's route through the ISO standardization process.
"'Legitimate concerns' raised over Microsoft Office formats" was the headline we used. According to Matusow, even if the comments are 'legitimate' does not make them 'valid'.
BMC's new open source whurley gig
March 12, 2007
This is potentially a pretty interesting development. BMC has hired William Hurley, open source systems management specialist, as its chief architect of open source strategy.
The value of regulation in a monopoly market
March 09, 2007
I was kind of trying to avoid commenting on the European Commission stating that Microsoft is charging unreasonable fees for information that would allow rival systems to interoperate with Windows, but a few things have come together which mean I can’t keep my mouth shut.
Tory Party promises an open source Biritain, if elected*
March 08, 2007
I had a brief conversation with Matt Asay earlier this week about (amongst other things) open source adoption in Britain and why there are so few open source start-ups.
One thing that neither of us suggested as a means of increasing open source adoption was that a change of government was needed, but if the Conservative Party gets its way, that is exactly what will be happening.
Dell’s desktop Linux in an infinite loop
March 07, 2007
This Dell desktop Linux story could run and run. If you’ve been watching the headlines recently you could be forgiven for thinking the potential for Linux on the desktop has Dell in a spin, but is that really what’s happening?
A closer look at the details reveals that yes, Dell is in a certain state of confusion over desktop Linux, but not as much as a lot of reporters and bloggers.
Introducing Ovum's open source reports
March 06, 2007
Most people reading this will not be aware (or care too much) that CBR's parent company Datamonitor recently acquired telecoms, services and software analyst firm Ovum.
One of the interesting things about this is that I now have access to some top quality analyst reports on open source software that were previously not available to us.
I'm not at liberty to publish anything here of course, but I thought a bit of free advertising wouldn't go a miss. Here's a list of some recent research reports that readers might find worth investigating further:
Open source with a difference
March 05, 2007
When I first started writing the blog I justified its existence with the statement that “the open source model is different”. Every now and then the market throws up an example that demonstrates how different it is, and Red Hat’s deal with Exadel is a case in point.
The EnterpriseDB debate – some insight from the top
March 01, 2007
Is database vendor EnterpriseDB an open source vendor or not? The question seems to be getting O’Reilly Radar bloggers Nat Torkington and Allison Randal (as well as numerous commenters) hot under the collar right now.
As previously noted, I recently had the chance to sit down with the company’s chief executive officer, Andy Astor, and put this question to him directly .
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