Slashdot Mirror
Three Takers Named for Microsoft's Linux Support
narramissic writes "According to an article on ITworld, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank AG, and AIG Technologies have signed on for Microsoft's technical support for Novell Inc.'s Suse Enterprise Linux. This follows last month's announcement of a deal between Novell and Microsoft that Steve Ballmer described as an effort to 'bridge the divide between open-source and proprietary-source software.' None of the companies cited the price of the support certificates, nor would they say how many they were activating. Even more interesting, Credit Suisse is a brand new cusomter for Novell."
Customer: "Please don't hurt me."
Ballmer: "These are some lovely client server apps you have here, it would be a shame if something were to.. happen to them..."
Customer: "Okay.. okay, I'll pay.... I'll pay" [quiet weeping].
-GiH
It's a cookbook!
If you disagree with me on social issues, then it's pretty clear that you are a narrow-minded bigot.
Now Novell will have to introduce random behaving bugs in his packages lest the microsoft support guys feel disoriented.
---- MISSING MISCELLANEOUS DATA SEGMENT --- [sigdash] trolololol
So...this deal is bad for Novell how??
http://www.linux-watch.com/news/NS6962961128.html
What am I missing?
What's so intresting about that ?
It's not like Microsoft would start companies to make it look like people are actually supporting this thing.
Wanna fight ? Bend over, stick your head up your ass, and fight for air.
The word "support" is so overused. What exactly does support mean these days anyway? Patches that don't work? Phone calls to someone out of the country that doesn't speak your language natively and has never actually used the program in a production environment? Hold times of 45 minutes? Security updates that break other parts?
Honestly, the word "support" to me has almost no meaning anymore. It's been thrown out there so many times as the deciding factor in a purchase, however I've yet to see really useful support. I've dealt with companies big and small and have never resolved a difficult issue in less than an hour with their supplied support.
All I care about anymore is whether they give you the proper tools to solve the problem yourself. Proper documentation and the source code (yes, smaller companies will give you source code if you are big enough and that's the deal breaker). I'll take that over a level I phone jockey any day!
If an officer ever threatens to taze you, say you have a pacemaker.
Yes, because Microsoft's Windows support is such a sterling example of quality, I can see where companies would have to be literally fended off with dead chickens from taking this deal.
Check out my sysadmin blog!
MS is not providing them Linux support. The sold them Novells support program.
This is like having a Mercedes and have it serviced by Kia.
Intron: the portion of DNA which expresses nothing useful.
Working the SuSE helpdesk wouldn't be as bad as you think. #1 call is going to be "I need to share these files from my Linux server to my Windows 2k/XP desktop." Microsoft will be motivated to make this happen (I've had some strange problems with this in the past). They really don't want the helpdesk response to be "Sorry, but Microsoft hasn't released that patch yet." They can blame Samba, sure, but then Microsoft looks stupid for associating with a product they won't stand behind. From an Interoperability standpoint, it seems that Microsoft is playing ball.
I think the only real problem here was the deliberate attempt to undermine the GPL. In the end, though, the effect is not as bad as we think. GPLv3 plugs the loophole, a Linux vendor gets a ton of cash from Microsoft, and life goes on. I don't like Novell getting in bed with Microsoft, but it's not like they had a whole lot of choice. $400 million is a lot to turn down on the basis of "principles", "morals" or "ethics". The important thing is that the timing of the announcement allowed the GPL to be developed to prevent any further deals of this nature to be made.
mandelbr0t
"Please describe the scientific nature of the 'whammy'" - Agent Scully
So when is /. going to replace the SuSE icon with a stylised thirty pieces of silver?
Never, we are way to scientifically mindied here to resort to Biblical symbolism. However we are quite mean enough to, say.... superimpose a portrait of Vidkun Quisling over the Novell logo.... Mwuhahahahahahahahaha!
Only to idiots, are orders laws.
-- Henning von Tresckow
next stop - Microsoft binary Linux drivers for Suse - $799
There are places where the networks are not touching,and there are places where they are-Boeing's Lori Gunter
Dewey, Cheetem, and Howe
--You will rephrase your request for me to go to hell. Goto statements are not acceptable programming constructs
Blind bashing? In this case, I don't think so.
:)
To use another bogeyman to illustrate it... this is like Sony "offering" to "service" Xbox 360s, or something.
I've already seen some other analogies put forth, and I find this is one case where they are friggin' hilarious, and appropriate
Sticking feathers up your butt does not make you a chicken - Tyler Durden
What strikes me here is that Microsoft could potentially make more money selling "we won't sue you" certificates to [Novell] Linux users than the companies actually providing *real* support for said systems ...
What?! Microsoft's CEO basically threatens companies that use Linux, and Microsoft isn't at fault?!
And I suppose if Guido says, "Bad things might happen to your family, Mr. Anonymous Coward, unless you pay me some 'protection' money...", then it isn't Guido's fault if you pay him for protection you don't actually need???
And you got modded Insightful! Unbelievable!
I, for one, am getting pretty tired of people whining that Microsoft gets unfairly bashed here on Slashdot too often. I regularly read plenty of responses that defend Microsoft that get modded +5 Insightful.
...Joe "the Butcher" Provoloni said "it's not our fault if those guys paid for protection they don't actually need".
Why would they? Why would they want two different support deals, each one supporting just their own products, or potentially, one support deal, to support their whole system, and the integration. I think that's a no-brainer. Heck, I don't know why anybody would pay for Novell support at this point.
Naw, I like Neal Stephenson's analogy, because then it would be like having an M1 tank, made of space-age materials and jammed with sophisticated technology from one end to the other, that's been modified in such a way that it never, ever breaks down, is light and maneuverable enough to use on ordinary streets, and uses no more fuel than a subcompact car, and taking it to a station wagon car company to have it serviced.
Nathan's blog
As far as "bridging the divide between open-source and proprietary-source software" is concerned, Ballmer doesn't seem to grasp that the basic concept of open vs. closed. His so-called "divide" isn't something that can just be patched up like so many Microsoft products. The only way to "bridge" the difference between open and closed is with a hinge.
So which way does Ballmer expect to bridge this door?
Comment removed based on user account deletion
When clients like these sign on to the program, the Geek becomes expendable.
Sure...but only until some overpaid executive can't get his second yacht because of revenue shortfalls. This is only as permanent as there is money to be made.
Godwin's law only applies when the entity in question had no connection to Nazi, not when the discussion is centered around unethical deeds of Volkswagen, IBM or Swiss banks.
As to the why-still-use-Windows people, my philosophy is to use the best hardware and software tools for each job - and 'best' is a hazy function of suitability for the task, purchase cost, maintenance cost, admin training cost, user training cost, support quality, compatibility with other systems, industry reputation... the list goes on. And as long as the license for whatever it is allows us to do what we intend, that's all I care about. I have problems to solve and solutions to provide, and I need to solve them today. Some of what I need is best served by Windows. Some isn't. It would be good from some aspects to use all-OSS software, but I can't do everything I need to do with it, and neither can my users, and neither can my customers. Meanwhile, there are 'closed' or 'non-free' systems that do deliver what we need, and fit the other criteria above. I'm sure a couple of dozen talented programmers and a couple of years would be able to remedy that, but that is completely impractical from a cost and timescale point of view. Live with it. I do.