December 26, 2007
by sjvn01
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In the last couple of months, analysts and columnists have been piling on Apple TV. They’ve been calling it a failure. Some have even compared it with Vista’s mediocre acceptance.
The horror! The horror!
I think the Apple TV naysayers are wrong.. Was it a rip-roaring success like the iPhone? Nope. Did it not sell as well as many expected? Yep. Doesn’t that mean it’s a flop? Not at all.
December 21, 2007
by sjvn01
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On Dec. 20, the Samba Group and the Software Freedom Law Center announced a deal with Microsoft that places all of Microsoft’s network protocols needed for programs to work with Windows Server into the hands of the newly formed Protocol Freedom Information Foundation.
The PFIF is a U.S.-based nonprofit corporation. It will make Microsoft’s server network protocol documentation available to open-source developers such as The Samba Group, which creates programs for Windows Server interoperability, and private companies. This information is provided under an NDA (nondisclosure agreement) and developers must agree to the NDA before gaining access to the documentation.
This revolutionary deal came about because of the European Union’s decision that Microsoft had been acting as a monopoly in Europe. After Microsoft failed in its appeal, the software giant not only had to pay a $613 million fine, it also had to open up some of its proprietary protocols to competitors, including open-source ones.
December 21, 2007
by sjvn01
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I was sure that Microsoft would find some way to wiggle out of the European Union deal to reveal its trade secrets. At the very least, I thought the company would find a way to keep its intellectual property goodies away from open-source groups such as Samba.
I was wrong.
The Samba Group and the Software Freedom Law Center managed to get Microsoft to place all of its network protocols needed for programs to work with Windows Server into the hands of the open-source-friendly Protocol Freedom Information Foundation. This is enormous. This is easily the most significant change for local area networking this century.
I’m not exaggerating. Think about it. AD (Active Directory), CIFS (Common Internet File System), authentication protocols, management protocols—you name it, if it’s involved as Microsoft puts it on its Microsoft Work Group Server Protocol Program site, if it “enables the creation of server software that interoperates with Microsoft Windows server and desktop operating systems and other compatible software,” it’s in there. For the specific protocols that are covered, take a gander at the Microsoft/PFIF Agreement (PDF link) and prepare to be amazed.
Thanks to the European Union’s decision, in stark contrast to the feeble Microsoft-DOJ antitrust deal, Microsoft has had to open up some of its important secrets. Of course, it will cost you 10,000 euros to get access to them, but that’s chicken feed. And, I might add, there are no, repeat no, royalty fees. You pay your 10 Gs upfront, and you’re ready to start developing without owing Microsoft another penny.
Sure, you also don’t get any patent protection. On the other hand, Microsoft was also forced to finally tell us exactly what patents it thinks are involved with these specific programs and protocols. In other words, Microsoft can’t get away with its FUD of hinting that there may be a patent violation in its opponents’ programs.
What does this mean for enterprise users? It means your upfront network server prices are going to crash through the floor. Which would you rather do? Pay for more Windows 2003 CALs (Client Access Licenses) or a new Microsoft Assurance License to make sure you get Server 2008, or get an unlimited number of end users and all the same network services from an inexpensive Linux running the next version of Samba?
I’m not talking about 90 percent of Microsoft services, which is about where we’re at now with Samba; I’m talking about 100 percent. I’m talking about the whole kit and caboodle. Your network administrators only know Microsoft’s way of managing LANs and WANs? So what? There won’t be any learning curve, so there’s no training costs, no time wasted on getting people up to speed fixing the usual day-in and day-out network woes. It will just work.
Bottom line is that this is going to be great for the enterprise’s bottom line.
It’s not just end users and Samba that will benefit from it. Since, for most practical purposes, this opens up AD to all developers, I can see network management and integrator companies developing LAN management programs that add advanced administration and logging tools to AD. I also foresee companies integrating LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol), eDirectory and other directory services with AD.
I also have no doubt that other companies—Sun, IBM, HP, Novell and Red Hat all spring to mind immediately—will take the Microsoft networking information and use it to improve their own Microsoft network integration or offer new functionality and interoperability with AD-style networks.
Ironic isn’t it? By being forced at lawsuit point to open up its networking protocols, Microsoft-style networking is going to become more popular than ever. Now, if Microsoft could get its head out of its proprietary hole in the ground, it could profit from this sea change in networking. As it is, the company will probably only see the harm it’s going to do to its proprietary software sales.
A version of this story first appeared in Linux-Watch.
December 20, 2007
by sjvn01
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After reporting strong quarterly earnings, Red Hat discloses it is replacing CEO Matthew Szulik.
In a move that caught even Red Hat senior staffers by surprise, the Linux company announced on Dec. 20 that long-time president and CEO Matthew Szulik is resigning.
He will be replaced by James M. Whitehurst, a former Delta chief operating officer, as of the first of next year.
Prior to the announcement there was no public hint that Red Hat was considering changing its leadership. However, the company acknowledged that Red Hat’s board had been looking for some time for a replacement for Szulik.
“After an extensive search, Red Hat has selected a talented executive who has successfully led a global technology-focused organization at Delta,” said Szulik in a statement. For now, Szulik will remain as chairman of the Red Hat board.
The explanation for this surprising move was that Szulik felt he had to leave to attend to family health matters. Sources close to Red Hat said that Szulik’s wife is quite ill.
In a Red Hat CEO blog entry, which hasn’t been published yet but was provided to Linux-Watch early, Szulik wrote, “I take pride when customers and industry types comment to me that the people of Red Hat are ‘different.’ Not like the [robots] who have come to dominate the industry of technology. Through our actions, the open source community and the people of Red Hat are defining a modern economic relationship between developer and customer. Collaboration, Transparency, and value delivered.”
In a press statement, William S. Kaiser, lead director of Red Hat’s board, said that “The Board is delighted that Jim Whitehurst will serve as CEO. We are confident that he will bring a combination of strategic insight and operational excellence needed to sustain growth while continuing to deliver industry leading customer service. His experience with large, global companies will be essential as Red Hat continues to scale to $1 billion in revenue and beyond.”
During the Red Hat financial earnings call on the same day, Szulik seconded this vote of confidence. “Jim is a hands-on guy who will be a strong cultural fit at Red Hat.” The disclosure about Szulik’s departure came as Red Hat reported $135.4 million in revenue for its third fiscal quarter, which ended Nov. 30. This is an increase of 28 percent from the equivalent 2006 quarter and 6 percent from the second quarter of 2007.
Drilling down, RHEL (Red Hat Enterprise Linux) subscriptions represented the bulk of Red Hat’s income. Red Hat’s total RHEL income was $115.7 million. That brings RHEL’s income up 30 percent year-over-year and 6 percent sequentially. Net income for the quarter came totaled $20.3 million. That works out to a dime per diluted share. Last quarter saw 9 cents per diluted share and 7 cents per diluted share in the equivalent 2006 quarter.
When asked why an operational executive from an airline company was being brought to an open-source technology company, Szulik replied, “We were looking for someone who could give us successful leadership with strategic vision.” In addition, he said that Whitehurst is a “technically savvy executive, who used to run Slackware, [arguably the first Linux distribution]. He gets Linux.”
Not everyone is convinced that Whitehurst is a good choice for Red Hat. In an e-mail interview, Gordon Haff, senior analyst for research house Illuminata, said, “He clearly has experience with an operationally very complex business. But one would have to look awfully hard to see the sort of innovation at old-line carriers like Delta that tends to be so important in technology companies,” Haff said.
“Companies like Delta have been far more about cutting costs and cutting service than getting customers excited about using them (contra JetBlue). Maybe he’ll do a great job at Red Hat, but he’s certainly not an obvious choice,” said Haff.
Whitehurst has a bachelor’s degree in computer science and economics from Rice University. He is also a graduate of the London School of Economics and has an MBA from Harvard.
During his time at Delta, which began in 2002, the airline went into chapter 11 bankruptcy. The company emerged from bankruptcy in 2007. Whitehurst left Delta after being passed over for promotion to CEO earlier this year. Before coming to Delta, Whitehurst was a vice president and director of The Boston Consulting Group, a global business consulting firm. He takes the wheel at Red Hat on Jan. 1.
December 18, 2007
by sjvn01
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Dell has told me that it will be announcing later today, Dec. 19, that it will be releasing PCs with Ubuntu 7.10 (aka Gutsy Gibbon) as part of its Dell Consumer Linux lineup along with the ability to legally play DVDs.
According to Dell spokesperson Anne B. Camden, the “Dell Inspiron 530N desktop and Inspiron 1420N notebook PCs are now available with Ubuntu 7.10 pre-installed.” Both of these models were part of Dell’s second wave of Ubuntu-powered PCs, which were released in June 2007.
December 18, 2007
by sjvn01
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ABI Research has just released a report that predicts that 1.2 million of what it calls Internet video devices in 2008. The leader of the pack? The Apple TV.
Everyone knows that the Apple TV
ABI sees hope ahead for both the Apple TV and Internet video devices. Two things will make this happen according to ABI. First, the firm believes that there will be a flood of new content. Some of that will come in new devices such as Vudu‘s HD (high definition) Internet player. They also believe that “consumers’ growing hunger for both user-generated and professionally produced content on the Internet could create greater demand for these new devices.”