Re: Jesse Berst: How Microsoft Lost...

[Christopher Pall <christopher.pall@wmich.edu>]

I agree with some of the posts in the threads below (the article) This is just
a battle. I agree NT is falling behind in a particular segment, and so
rightfully so. But over the long term, it's likely that Novell needs to make
inroads to the important "end-user" server market. Time has always been on MS's
side, and they never seem to run out of it. Unless something gory happens in
the DOJ case (and I expect a little gore) Novell is still dealing with a
tyrant.

Gene Gaines wrote:
> 
> The emperor is beginning to be seen as having no clothes.
> 
> See http://www.zdnet.com/anchordesk/story/story_3164.html
> 
> Excerpt below.
> 
> TUESDAY, MARCH 09, 1999
> 
>   How Microsoft Lost the
>   Cold War. How Novell
>   Won. And Why You
>   Should Care
> 
>   Jesse Berst, Editorial Director
>   ZDNet AnchorDesk
> 
> Microsoft waged a Cold War for the past six years,
> using propaganda and promises to fend off a
> competitor. It looks like it's going to lose.
> 
> The war of words is over directories, often described
> as the "white pages" of the Internet. Theoretically, a
> directory lets you find anything attached to the
> network -- users, servers, printers, disks. More
> importantly, a true directory lets you manage all
> those resources. Manage thousands of users from a
> single, centralized console. Even when they share
> PCs. Even when they roam from PC to PC.
> 
> Why is Novell winning? Because its Novell Directory
> Services (NDS) can accomplish the things
> mentioned above right now. Microsoft's current
> directory cannot. Microsoft propagandizes a new
> Active Directory, asking customers to wait until it
> shows up. It's now years overdue. Meanwhile,
> customers need a robust directory for centralized
> management, for new directory-enabled
> applications, for scalable ecommerce.
> 
> As a result, companies such as Lucent, Nortel,
> Tivoli and PeopleSoft are partnering with Novell
> instead. Even Cisco signed on as an NDS partner.
> Yes, the same Cisco that is working with Microsoft
> to build a competing directory.
> 
> How's that for a vote of no-confidence?  ..."
> 
> The article continues on to cover Novell NDS, excerpts:
> 
> " ... Novell finds itself on the verge of victory ... It has found
> an important service -- in this case, directories -- that Redmond is
> not able to deliver. Wisely, it uncoupled NDS from Netware, building
> NT and Unix versions. ...  I believe the world is poised to
> standardize on NDS. Once that happens, there will be little reason
> to convert to Microsoft's Active Directory when (if) it appears. ..."
> 
> Gene Gaines
> gene.gaines@ibm.net