MS-Novell Communication Breakdown: It’s Always the Same
If I signed a massive multiyear contract under which millions of dollars changed
hands and the eyes of the world were upon me, I'd probably read it first.
I'm not sure how carefully Steve Ballmer and Ron Hovsepian of Novell scrutinized
their cooperation agreement, as only a week or so later the two are
fighting
over what it all means.
The rub is just who needs patent protection from whom (copy editors in the
audience will tell me if this sentence is correct, parentheses aside). Ballmer
apparently believes that Linux violates myriad Microsoft patents, which is why
Novell was interested in patent protection. Novell's Hovsepian blasted
back that he had more than enough patents and more money is flowing from Redmond
to Waltham (which is where Novell is now headquartered) than vice versa. (Read
Redmond's interview with Hovsepian here.)
If two grown men can’t get along, how can their software?
Posted by Doug Barney on November 27, 2006