Novell's acquisition of Linux software vendor Ximian is interesting on several levels and in several product areas. One of the most intriguing components of the software stable that Novell purchased is Ximian Desktop. Novell's heritage at the network level and the fact that the Linux desktop market is still in its infancy prompt the question of whether Novell will be able to turn the promising product into a formidable competitor of Windows and the Mac OS. Although some experts see Ximian Desktop becoming ancillary to Novell's Linux strategy, that is not the position that Novell itself is taking. Indeed, Novell clearly intends to compete on the desktop and already is mapping a strategy to do so.

Natural Competition

"We're not going after Microsoft, and we're not going after Sun," Alan Nugent, chief technology officer at Novell, told NewsFactor. Nugent did admit, however, that the product would "naturally" compete with Windows. "It doesn't matter what technology you pick, you compete against Microsoft," Nugent said. "The desktop is more of a puzzle than anything else," Joseph Eckert, spokesperson for SuSE , told NewsFactor. "What are they going to do with it? It's too good to throw to the dogs, but it's not their sweet spot."


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http://www.newsfactor.com/perl/story/22068.html