Microsoft, Novell join hands for OS harmony

In an unusual partnership, old foes Microsoft and Novell have joined forces to work on harmonising their products.

The companies said they will collaborate on development of specific technologies, for example to help Microsoft's Windows work with Novell's Suse Linux, which is based on open source code. On the business side, they will promote each other's products.

In addition, the software makers have struck a deal on patents designed to give customers peace of mind about using Novell's open source products, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and Novell CEO Ronald Hovsepian said at an event in San Francisco.

Ballmer said: "This set of agreements will really help bridge the divide between open source and proprietary source software."

The impetus for the arrangement was to make it easier for software buyers to run both Windows and Linux-based systems, Hovsepian said. "We came together to focus on giving you, our customers, the choice," he said.

The companies will create a joint research facility at which they will build and test new products, and work with customers and the open source community. The focus will be on three technical areas: virtualisation, web services for server management, and Microsoft Office-OpenOffice.org compatibility, the company executives said.

The companies will work together on optimising their virtualisation technologies, said Jeffrey Jaffe, Novell's chief technology officer. Novell will offer a version of Suse Linux Enterprise Server with optimised virtualisation features for Windows Server Longhorn; Microsoft, in turn, will sell a version of the upcoming Windows server product that is optimised to run the Novell software in a virtual environment, he said. Neither company, however, will sell the other's operating system product.

RedMonk analyst Stephen O'Grady said: "Microsoft is taking a significant step toward being a better open source citizen." And, among Linux companies, he said: "Novell is likely to receive a significant boost in attention and credibility, and Red Hat will have to further defend its position as the de facto Linux supplier."

Additionally, Microsoft will officially recommend Suse Linux Enterprise for people who want to run both Windows and Linux. It will distribute coupons for maintenance and support for Novell's Suse Linux Enterprise Server operating system. Microsoft and Novell will help each other's customers with support, transferring people over to the other company's help staff if needed.

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The two companies also said they will provide each other's customers with patent coverage for their respective products. Moreover, Microsoft said it will not enforce its patents against individual, non-commercial Linux developers.

" Brad Smith, Microsoft's general counsel, said at the event: Today, Novell is the only company in our industry that is able to provide the customer not only with the code to run Linux but also with a patent covenant from Microsoft."

In addition, Microsoft promised not to assert patents against developers being paid to create code for OpenSuse, Smith said.

Microsoft and Novell declined to detail the financial side of their agreements. Novell, however, will have to report details soon because they are material to the company's profits, said John Dragoon, Novell's chief marketing officer.

Stephen Shankland writes for CNET News.com