08.23.08
The Collusion/Collaboration Club Strikes Again
Favouritism factors
Those who choose SUSE, particularly at a large scale, are often Microsoft partners or sworn allies. Here is a new example from India.
SAP’s relationship with Microsoft was once explained here (Microsoft almost bought SAP) and Wipro is almost a subsidiary to Microsoft India [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. Intel, by the way, is no better [1, 2]. Right now they are all getting together, along with Novell, in order to deliver a SUSE ’solution’.
SAP and Wipro couple the proven business management solution SAP Business All-in-One with the Wipro NetBlade modular servers, to deliver short time-to-deployment of end-to-end business processes at a low total cost of ownership (TCO) to midsize companies in the manufacturing, service and trade industries .The Wipro NetBlade modular server is based on the open SSI standard and the Industry standard Intel® Xeon® Processors. SAP Business-All-in-One is not only validated, but also optimized for Intel Xeon processors. The complete stack includes the database SAP MaxDB and the operating system SUSE Linux Enterprise Server from Novell to deliver exceptional value, enterprise class robustne
More about this here:
SAP and Wipro have jointly launched a ready-to-use ERP solution for mid-market Indian companies.
The solution package includes SAP Business All-in-One integrated with Wipro NetBlade, Modular Servers based on Intel Multi-Flex technology, complete with implementation services and lifecycle support services together with operating system SUSE Linux Enterprise from Novell, which would deliver short time-to-deployment of end-to-end business processes. The solution will offer low total cost of ownership (TCO) to mid-sized companies in the manufacturing, service and trade industries.
Here is the simplified press release or just another article.
SAP AG and Wipro, key partner to SAP and Intel, have jointly launched a ready-to-use ERP solution for mid-market Indian companies. The solution package includes SAP Business All-in-One integrated with Wipro NetBlade, Modular Servers based on Intel Multi-Flex technology
Groupings of Intel+SAP+Novell+Microsoft were mentioned here before because a similar arrangement was made in the west. Remember: SAP was almost acquired by Microsoft a few years back and while Microsoft pursued Yahoo, some suggested that it should buy SAP instead. Nonetheless, they can live happily together, even without a full acquisition. All these five companies are already very close. Whenever Novell brags about a contract, it’s worth exploring the relationship and see if technical merits were part of the selection criteria. █
Highlight: Novell was the first to acknowledge that Microsoft FUD tactics had substance. Novell then used anti-Linux FUD to market itself. 
Highlight: Xandros let Microsoft make patent claims and brag about (paid-for) OOXML support. 
Highlight: Linspire's CEO not only fell into Microsoft arms, but he also assisted the company's attack on GNU/Linux. 
Highlight: Microsoft craves pseudo (proprietary) standards and gets its way using proxies and influence which it buys. 
Highlight: The invasion into the open source world is intended to leave Linux companies neglected, due to financial incentives from Microsoft. 
Analysis: Xen, an open source hypervisor, possibly fell victim to Microsoft's aggressive (and stealthy) acquisition-by-proxy strategy.