Novell Springboard Program to Propel EMEA ISV Partners

Published: February 7, 2006

by Timothy Prickett Morgan

If you are an independent software vendor peddlng Unix applications in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, Novell wants to help you understand the market tidal wave that is Linux and help you learn how to surf on it. And to that end, Novell has created its Springboard ISV Program in the EMEA region, which has been problematic for Novell in recent months.

With Springboard, Novell is starting first and foremost in getting ISVs fired up about Linux (as if there wasn't enough hype in the past few years). Novell is reminding everyone that IT analyst firm Gartner is projecting that Linux server shipments will increase from 1.4 million units in 2006 to 2.4 million units in 2010, and revenues will balloon to $11.5 billion, from $6.5 billion. That is a compound annual growth rate of 12.2 percent over those five years, and there is no part of the server market that is growing at that rate. Most parts are growing increasingly more slowly (like Windows) or in decline (like Unix). So, this Linux thing is probably the last big wave in servers anyone is going to see for a very, very long time. If you don't catch this one, you will be out at sea, basically.

Then, after evangelizing about the Linux movement, Novell will give ISVs porting applications from Unix to Linux some goodies: six months of a silver-level subscription to the Novell ISV Partner program (valued at $750), a free Linux self-study training kit (valued at $396), a free place in the Novell online partner guide, access to developer support and porting tools, and free SUSE Linux certification on up to three applications.