The Waltham, Massachusetts-based company’s announcement of the openSUSE project might have hogged the headlines at this week’s LinuxWorld event, but the update to Open Enterprise Server could prove more significant in gaining more enterprise-level Linux users.
OES contains both NetWare 7.0 and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 9.0, as well as Novell’s communication, collaboration, file, print, and application services, and is Novell’s the migration path to Linux for existing NetWare users.
The release of OES Support Pack 1 at the end of August will enable the company to deliver improved migration capabilities to make it easier for NetWare users – as well as Microsoft Windows users, according to Novell – to move to Linux.
Among the improvements is the fact that Server Consolidation Utility and NetWare Migration Wizard have been combined into a single launch interface to automate the launch of migration utilities based on a user’s requirements, and a drag-and-drop interface that enables administrators to model the migration prior to execution.
OES SP1 will also include performance improvements to Novell Storage Services on Linux, and version 3.0 of Novell iFolder for file sharing and personal file backup, full support for Novell Cluster Services, and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 9 Service Pack 2.
In addition, the new version will include the Novell Client for Linux, delivering secure authentication, login script support, eDirectory authentication, NCP support, access to services and applications, and drive-mapping on a Linux desktop.
Novell this week also announced some significant wins for Linux on the desktop, including the fact that it is in the running to put Linux on the desktop of every high school student in the state of Indiana. The company is participating in Indiana’s Affordable Computers for Every Secondary Student Scheme, Access, that will see more than 300,000 high school students having access to Linux desktop machines. The company has some competition for the contract but has announced that 1,600 Dell Inc desktops are being deployed at Indiana schools running the Novell Linux Desktop operating system. Linux desktop specialist Linspire Inc is also involved in the Access program and announced this week that it is involved with a deployment to three school districts of Wintergreen Systems Inc PCs running its Linux distribution.
One Linux desktop contract that Novell definitely has secured is with US camera and photo retail chain Ritz Camera Centers Inc, which has announced that it has selected Novell Linux Desktop for cash registers across its 1,200 stores.
The company is also using Novell’s ZENworks management suite to monitor and update the Linux operating systems, and has adopted Novell’s NetMail email system for employee communication.
