Novell: Son of NetWare jockeys for position

most likely wouldn't be the first bet placed in the data center race, but the company has been amassing essential technologies and developing a comprehensive next-generation strategy that might make for a surprising finish.

Novell's includes SUSE Linux enterprise software, PlateSpin virtualization and workload management tools and, with the recent Managed Objects acquisition, business service management.

It will use these technologies to deliver on its data center vision, which it calls Service-Driven Data Center, says Richard Whitehead, the company's director of marketing for data center solutions.

"The Service-Driven Data Center provides solutions to build, manage and measure the next-generation data center, so IT executives can deliver the business services that end users need through a flexible, automated and cost-effective infrastructure," he says.

As is expected from an enterprise Linux provider, openness, interoperability and ease of use are themes for Novell in the data center. "We take the 'Switzerland' approach," Whitehead says. "We recognize that our customers will want to leverage their existing data center investments and may want to work with other partners."