Ebony and Ivory… Microsoft and Novell Find Common Ground

In what will hopefully be a sign of things to come, Microsoft and Novell took an important step toward bridging the divide between the open source and proprietary software communities today. The companies agreed to a wide ranging partnership that includes an extremely important patent licensing deal that will give Novell customer and open source hobbyists legal peace of mind.

In the News.com story, RedMonk analyst Stephen O’Gradywas effusive:

Microsoft is taking a significant step toward being a better open-source citizen,” RedMonk analyst Stephen O’Grady said. And among Linux companies, “Novell is likely to receive a significant boost in attention and credibility, and Red Hat will have to further defend its position as the de facto Linux supplier.”

In a statement released this evening, ACT president Jonathan Zuck praised Microsoft and Novell for moving beyond licensing ideology for the good of their customers.

“Microsoft and Novell should be commended for putting customers and innovation before licensing ideology. This is the kind of achievement that can only be reached when parties respect one another’s innovations and intellectual property and put their customers first.”

“This announcement is a victory for customers and the industry, including small software developers developing solutions for both Windows and Linux platforms. It is further proof that free market forces are working and enable a vibrant software ecosystem that provides customer choice, innovation and competitive products.”

“The reality is that customers are not interested in the best proprietary product or best open source product; they want the best product, period. With their pioneering approach, Microsoft and Novell are giving customers the choice and legal certainty they have demanded; leaving behind the religious and philosophical licensing debates around open source and proprietary software.”