"In one fell swoop, the moves dramatically alter the Linux landscape:
"It joins SuSE's partnerships and considerable influence in the Linux market with Novell's sales network, customer base and cash. On July 31, Novell had $739 million in cash and marketable securities.
"It gives Novell a second chance to take on Microsoft, applying the lessons it learned a decade ago when its NetWare operating system for servers lost out to Windows--and this time, Novell will also be able to sell an operating system for desktop computers. Microsoft already has Linux in its crosshairs.
"It could reshape the dispute between Unix owner SCO Group and its two legal adversaries, IBM and leading Linux seller Red Hat. Novell--a company that has retained significant rights from its former ownership of Unix--now has a strong vested interest in Linux. SuSE, meanwhile, believes its former alliance with SCO shields it, an assertion SCO denies..."
