https://www.channelfutures.com/wp-content/themes/channelfutures_child/assets/images/logo/footer-new-logo.png
  • Home
  • Technologies
    • Back
    • SDN/SD-WAN
    • Cloud
    • RMM/PSA
    • Security
    • Telephony/UC/Collaboration
    • Cable
    • Mobility & Wireless
    • Fiber/Ethernet
    • Data Centers
    • Backup & Disaster Recovery
    • IoT
    • Desktop
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Analytics
  • Strategy
    • Back
    • Mergers and Acquisitions
    • Channel Research
    • Business Models
    • Distribution
    • Technology Solutions Brokerages
    • Sales & Marketing
    • Best Practices
    • Vertical Markets
    • Regulation & Compliance
  • MSP 501
    • Back
    • 2022 MSP 501 Rankings
    • 2022 NextGen 101 Rankings
  • Intelligence
    • Back
    • Galleries
    • Podcasts
    • From the Industry
    • Reports/Digital Issues
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
  • Channel Futures TV
  • EMEA
  • Channel Chatter
    • Back
    • People on the Move
    • New/Changing Channel Programs
    • New Products & Services
    • Industry Honors
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Advisory Boards
    • Industry Organizations
    • Our Sponsors
    • Advertise
    • 2023 Editorial Calendar
  • Awards
    • Back
    • 2022 MSP 501
    • Channel Influencers
    • Circle of Excellence
    • DE&I 101
    • Technology Advisor 101 (TA 101)
  • Events
    • Back
    • 2023 Call for Speakers
    • CP Conference & Expo
    • MSP Summit
    • Channel Partners Europe
    • Channel Partners Event Coverage
    • Webinars
    • Industry Events
  • About Us
  • DE&I
Channel Futures
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • Technologies
    • Back
    • SDN/SD-WAN
    • Cloud
    • RMM/PSA
    • Security
    • Telephony/UC/Collaboration
    • Cable
    • Mobility & Wireless
    • Fiber/Ethernet
    • Data Centers
    • Backup & Disaster Recovery
    • IoT
    • Desktop
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Analytics
  • Strategy
    • Back
    • Mergers and Acquisitions
    • Channel Research
    • Business Models
    • Distribution
    • Technology Solutions Brokerages
    • Sales & Marketing
    • Best Practices
    • Vertical Markets
    • Regulation & Compliance
  • MSP 501
    • Back
    • 2022 MSP 501 Rankings
    • 2022 NextGen 101 Rankings
  • Intelligence
    • Back
    • Galleries
    • Podcasts
    • From the Industry
    • Reports/Digital Issues
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
  • Channel Futures TV
  • EMEA
  • Channel Chatter
    • Back
    • People on the Move
    • New/Changing Channel Programs
    • New Products & Services
    • Industry Honors
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Advisory Boards
    • Industry Organizations
    • Our Sponsors
    • Advertise
    • 2023 Editorial Calendar
  • Awards
    • Back
    • 2022 MSP 501
    • Channel Influencers
    • Circle of Excellence
    • DE&I 101
    • Technology Advisor 101 (TA 101)
  • Events
    • Back
    • 2023 Call for Speakers
    • CP Conference & Expo
    • MSP Summit
    • Channel Partners Europe
    • Channel Partners Event Coverage
    • Webinars
    • Industry Events
  • About Us
  • DE&I
    • Newsletter
  • REGISTER
  • MSPs
  • VARs / SIs
  • Agents
  • Cloud Service Providers
  • Channel Partners Events
 Channel Futures

Best Practices


Can Microsoft Surround And Conquer Red Hat?

  • Written by The VAR Guy 1
  • June 13, 2007

Yet another open source software provider has signed a licensing and patent agreement with Microsoft. The VAR Guy wonders: Is Microsoft moving a few strategic pieces into place before launching a legal showdown against Red Hat? Or is this another case of Microsoft spreading Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt (FUD) within the open source community?

First, some background: Microsoft claims Linux and open source software violate more than 200 of the company’s patents. Novell was the first big Linux provider to sit down with Microsoft and sign a cross-licensing agreement with the company. The deal essentially protects Novell and its customers from potential legal action by Microsoft. Oh, and it also delivers greater interoperability between Windows and Linux — something that Novell and Microsoft customers certainly want.

Meanwhile, two smaller Linux providers — Xandros and Linspire — have now signed similar patent agreements with Microsoft. And, AP reports, device makers like Samsung and LG Electronics have inked open source patent agreements with Microsoft.

Who’s next on Microsoft’s target list? The VAR Guy thinks Collax — which promotes its own Linux to small businesses — is on Microsoft’s legal radar for patent negotiations. And tiny Collax would likely welcome a call from the giant.

After all, mainstream technology writers had never heard of Xandros until the company recently signed the Microsoft patent deal. Now, Xandros is on the media map–at least temporarily. That situation could repeat itself with Collax, which currently competes with Microsoft’s Small Business Server.

And what about Canonical, promoter of the popular Ubuntu Linux? Mark Shuttleworth, the man behind Ubuntu, says he’d love to strike a balanced deal when Microsoft has new, community-focused leadership. (No offense, Bill and Steve.) But regardless of Microsoft’s leadership, Shuttleworth insists he would “absolutely not” sign a patent agreement with the software giant.

Neither would Red Hat — according to multiple published reports.

Suddenly, Microsoft’s strategy is clear to The VAR Guy: Line up tiny Linux companies to sign patent agreements. Then, let everyone — including The VAR Guy — speculate about a possible legal showdown with Red Hat.

Hmmm. So far, the strategy doesn’t appear to be slowing Red Hat’s momentum. Annual revenue at the company grew 44 percent during Red Hat’s most recent fiscal year.

While Microsoft continues signing open source patent agreements, Red Hat continues signing up new customers.

Tags: Agents Cloud Service Providers MSPs VARs/SIs Best Practices

Most Recent


  • Momentum
    Microsoft Security Now $20 Billion Business with 'Tremendous Momentum'
    One analyst says there's few legitimate obstacles in its path for further growth.
  • Intelisys Pre-AMP'd Marketing Forum
    Intelisys, Suppliers, Agents Take Aim at the Partner Marketing Gap
    Marketing is historically a second thought for the sales-focused world of technology advisors.
  • 2023 Opportunities
    There Are Plenty of New Opportunities for MSPs in 2023
    Partnership is key, along with automating data protection and cloud optimization technologies.
  • DE&I mental health
    Mental Health Is Also a DE&I Conversation
    Employees need safe spaces where they can feel comfortable being who they are.

15 comments

  1. Avatar Brotherred June 14, 2007 @ 10:58 am
    Reply

    All deals signed after March 28 are invalid. But no one talks about it. Clearly those not knowing do not know anything at all.

  2. Avatar TechIQ raquo; Archive raquo; Microsoft to Partner With Ubunt June 15, 2007 @ 5:45 pm
    Reply

    […] Guy begs to differ. Mark Shuttleworth, the man behind Ubuntu, is on record stating that he#8217;s not interested in a patent deal with […]

  3. Avatar qhartman June 15, 2007 @ 10:15 pm
    Reply

    @Brotherred:

    Why are the deals made after March 28 invalid?

  4. Avatar Igor Guerrero June 16, 2007 @ 1:23 am
    Reply

    This article is wrong because Novell partnership with Microsoft start before the ‘200 patents’ announcement.

  5. Avatar The VAR Guy June 16, 2007 @ 1:39 am
    Reply

    Igor,

    Yes, the Novell agreement came before Microsoft disclosed the alleged 200+ patent violations. But that doesn’t make the article wrong.

    The moment Microsoft announced the agreement with Novell, Ballmer and others stated that they believed open source violated Microsoft patents. Novell denies this, but nonetheless signed that agreement.

    Regardless, there are clearly three Linux companies that have patent protection from Microsoft — even if the protection means nothing: Novell, Linspire, Xandros.

  6. Avatar aha June 16, 2007 @ 2:48 am
    Reply

    Its a pity how linux community is scared of MS. Does this show that we at linux have really been infringing the patents (Ok, we all know Linux has infringed). Anyways, i am tired of reading these alike blogs where everyone is speculating MS would invade top linux distributions, ofcourse this is what they want and this is what every other rival company would do. Thats nature of business and i dont blame MS. MS in intelligent enough (they are as- doesnt matter if you guys TRY to deny it) to act at the right time and make friends with Linux community as they want strong linkage with Linux development in the years to come. To my mind, all they want is to have M$ embedded inside Linux and then cripple it at the end whenever they want.

  7. Avatar Dennis Lee June 16, 2007 @ 4:20 am
    Reply

    The VAR Guy wonders: Is Microsoft moving a few strategic pieces into place before launching a legal showdown against Red Hat?

    Naaah!what MS is doing is weeding out those clueless Linux providers for us. They have no idea how to provide Linux solutions so they need a crutch to lean on.

    When all the dust settles only the real Linux providers will remains. And the world continues spinning on…

    DL

  8. Avatar aha June 16, 2007 @ 5:12 am
    Reply

    mmmm! you may be partially right DL, but Novell (suse) is a top brand. I think MS has decided to invade into linux so much that one day linux will be MS! And its the server war this time, for desktop you cannot beat MS.
    From Linux i mean the whole OS distribution, not the boring monolithic Kernel. 😛

  9. Avatar Wesley Parish June 16, 2007 @ 7:07 am
    Reply

    Well, when you consider that Microsoft is following the same script that The SCO Group ne Caldera followed – allege massive illegalities with the Linux kernel and related operating system, then sign up clueless folks etc, I hope you’ll see that Microsoft is also likely to find itself bankrupt and in breach of so many other things that their collective heads’ll spin like a top.

    I think Microsoft’ll last at this game for perhaps another few companies, then by the time they decide to take on Red Hat, Microsoft’ll be left sitting on the quickly-dwindling $49 billion cash …

    There’s a lot more people supporting Red Hat now than used to, and the number of Linux folks accusing Red hat of aiming to be the Linux Microsoft is now NULL. Microsoft will spring its big surprise, only to find it’s snookered itself beyond retrieval.

  10. Avatar corwin155 June 16, 2007 @ 6:26 pm
    Reply

    divide an infiltrate absorb
    MS isnt dumb by long shot

  11. Avatar Johannes Rexx June 16, 2007 @ 6:32 pm
    Reply

    FTA: “After all, mainstream technology writers had never heard of Xandros until the company recently signed the Microsoft patent deal.”

    What? Exactly what is a mainstream technology writer anyway? Any tech writer not knowing about Xandros isn’t aware of the landscape and should be set aside as just another damned blogger.

  12. Avatar Tom Gellhaus June 17, 2007 @ 12:01 pm
    Reply

    I agree with Johannes above. I don’t get paid for writing about technology yet I was aware of Xandros almost as soon as it started – it USED to be Corel Linux. Xandros bought most of Corel’s assets 5 or 6 years ago.
    Mainstream writers should be quite aware of the several Linux distributions that make a major point of being for Windows converts and “newbie-friendly”.

  13. Avatar carolinason June 17, 2007 @ 1:59 pm
    Reply

    I’m not sure MS could “OS/2” Red Hat on patents alone.

  14. Avatar Jaster June 19, 2007 @ 12:49 pm
    Reply

    If Microsoft actually tried to attack Red-Hat with the 200+ patents then three things will happen

    Some will get laughed out of court as being so weak as to be pointless

    Some will get nullified by Prior Art

    The rest will be worked around in days…

    It is also likely that IBM will wade in with it’s portfolio of Patents

    So Microsoft will end up with less patents a large bill and Red-Hat will carry on as if nothing had happend?

  15. Avatar Ubuntu Coming to Small Business Servers laquo; All About Ubu July 22, 2007 @ 5:29 pm
    Reply

    […] leap from niche desktops to small business servers. But I wonder what that means for companies like Xandros and Collax #8212; both of which promote Linux to small […]

Leave a comment Cancel reply

-or-

Log in with your Channel Futures account

Alternatively, post a comment by completing the form below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Content

  • Paying ransomware
    Sophos: Avaddon Ransomware Becoming More Prominent, Aggressive
  • security
    The Mounting Need for an Integrated Security Platform
  • Mobile malware
    Google Play, Apple App Store Are 'Large Malware Distribution Platforms'
  • Social media smartphone
    Social Media Roundup: Partners Talk Crypto, Security Hiring

Upcoming Events

View all

Channel Partners Conference & Expo

May 1, 2023 - May 4, 2023

Channel Partners Europe

June 13, 2023 - June 14, 2023

Channel Futures Leadership Summit

October 30, 2023 - November 2, 2023

Galleries

View all

Deal to Buy Unify from Atos Seals New Direction for Mitel, CEO Explains

January 26, 2023

Intelisys, Suppliers, Agents Take Aim at the Partner Marketing Gap

January 26, 2023

Ivanti: Everyone Should be Concerned About ChatGPT and Cybersecurity

January 25, 2023

Industry Perspectives

View all

Make the Most of the Gift of Time in 2023

January 25, 2023

Strong Partnerships Ease Challenging UPS Upgrade

January 24, 2023

The Advantages of Managed Networking and Security During Economic Uncertainty

January 5, 2023

Webinars

View all

Next-Generation MSP Platform: The Building Blocks for Your Business

February 15, 2023

Security Secrets of the MSP 501: How to Be a Cyber Leader in 2023

December 15, 2022
  • 1

Cybersecurity Certifications: Their Evolving Role in the Fight Against Increasing Attacks

December 13, 2022

White Papers

View all

Overcoming Your Endpoint Security Limitations with a Skeleton Crew

October 25, 2022

Embracing the Zero Trust Mindset For Endpoints

October 24, 2022

Endpoints are the Destination

October 24, 2022

Channel Futures TV

View all

Coffee with Craig and James Episode 117: Cato Networks, Video Killed the Podcast Stars

Retired Astronaut Capt. Scott Kelly Previews His CP Expo Keynote

December 21, 2022

Fusion Connect Eyes Future with Intrado UC, Managed Network Customers

September 23, 2022

RingCentral Focused on Hybrid Work, Microsoft Teams, Other Integrations

September 23, 2022

Twitter

ChannelFutures

The CEO of @Mitel discusses the likely outcomes of buying @Atos Unify. Note: @RingCentral will play a role post acq… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

January 26, 2023
ChannelFutures

.@msftsecurity surpasses $20 billion in annual revenue, analysts say it's a formidable #cybersecurity market conten… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

January 26, 2023
ChannelFutures

The adoption of cloud-based services ☁️ has spiked in the last few years and is among the top growth segments. See… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

January 26, 2023
ChannelFutures

[email protected], @NICECXone, @lumencpp, @CiscoPartners joined @IntelisysCorp and partners for a day of marketing worksho… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

January 26, 2023
ChannelFutures

.@IBM and @SAP announce #layoffs of thousands of employees dlvr.it/ShV2VY https://t.co/7QK1YqVpwa

January 26, 2023
ChannelFutures

#MSPs can boost #Channel business if they personalize the #DigitalExperience for partners, says @AvePoint.… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

January 26, 2023
ChannelFutures

Consider mental health in the context of DE&I. Create safe spaces where employees can feel comfortable being who th… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

January 26, 2023
ChannelFutures

.@GoIvanti's CSO says #ChatGPT poses numerous cybersecurity concerns. dlvr.it/ShRmdt https://t.co/n22RZ4PZaO

January 25, 2023

MSP 501

The industry's largest and most comprehensive partner awards program.

Newsletters and Updates

Sign up for The Channel Report, Channel Futures Update, MSP 501 Newsletter and more.

Live Channel Events

Get the latest information on the next industry-leading Channel Partners event.

Galleries

Educational slide shows and images from live events.

Media Kit And Advertising

Want to reach our audience? Access our media kit.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • Channel Partners Events
  • Telecoms.com
  • MSP 501
  • Black Hat
  • IoT World Today
  • Omdia

WORKING WITH US

  • Contact
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Newsletter

FOLLOW Channel Futures ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2023 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.
This website uses cookies, including third party ones, to allow for analysis of how people use our website in order to improve your experience and our services. By continuing to use our website, you agree to the use of such cookies. Click here for more information on our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy.
X