Microsoft and Novell Announce Broad Collaboration on Windows and Linux Interoperability and Support

Hey.. This is more and more money for these two companies. Windows and Linux control the server operating systems world , and each year more companies require specialized people "like US" who are on the edge of technology. Shouldn’t we (Microsoft and Linux specialist --by the way we are like 5 Millions in the entire world) be earning more money each year. Our brains are going to the same rhythm of this huge amount of information... Come on.

REDMOND, Wash., and WALTHAM, Mass. — Nov. 2, 2006 — Microsoft Corp. and Novell Inc. today announced a set of broad business and technical collaboration agreements to build, market and support a series of new solutions to make Novell and Microsoft® products work better together. The two companies also announced an agreement to provide each other’s customers with patent coverage for their respective products. These agreements will be in place until at least 2012. Under this new model, customers will realize unprecedented choice and flexibility through improved interoperability and manageability between Windows® and Linux.
“They said it couldn’t be done. This is a new model and a true evolution of our relationship that we think customers will immediately find compelling because it delivers practical value by bringing two of their most important platform investments closer together,” said Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft. “We’re excited to work with Novell, whose strengths include its heritage as a mixed-source company. Resolving our patent issues enables a combined focus on virtualization and Web services management to create new opportunities for our companies and our customers.”
On-Demand Webcast
You can view an on-demand Webcast of the News Conference with Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and Ron Hovsepian, president and CEO of Novell, held Nov. 2.
View the Webcast (53 min. 34 sec.)
Under the agreement, Novell is establishing clear leadership among Linux platform and open source software providers on interoperability for mixed-source environments. As a result, Microsoft will officially recommend SUSE Linux Enterprise for customers who want Windows and Linux solutions. Additionally, Microsoft will distribute coupons for SUSE Linux Enterprise Server maintenance and support, so that customers can benefit from the use of an interoperable version of Linux with patent coverage as well as the collaborative work between the two companies.