Despite the vague denials (CI No 2,068), Novell Inc and Apple Computer Inc are believed to be in the early stages of discussions that Wall Street speculates could at least involve technology sharing: according to Reuter, an industry source said Apple chief executive officer John Sculley and Novell chairman Ray Noorda are involved in discussions, but that it is unclear whether they involve technology sharing or a merger – It’s at an early stage, but I wouldn’t underplay it, he said, noting that it is clear that Sculley is becoming ever more interested in networking; the only snag in any merger is that despite being only a $1,000m company where Apple is closing in on $7,000m, Novell has a much higher rating – its market capitalisation is about $9,700m while Apple is currently valued at some $4,800m.
