Microsoft and Novell: A love-hate relationship

Microsoft's landmark agreement with Novell earlier this month was certainly one of the biggest IT stories of the year. Then, when Steve Ballmer claimed that the deal was motivated by the fact that Linux "uses [Microsoft] intellectual property," it became one of the year's juiciest stories. Novell CEO Ron Hovsepian quickly fired back, distancing his company from Ballmer's statements, assuring open-source evangelists that "Novell did not agree or admit that Linux or any other Novell offering violates Microsoft patents." Hovsepian recently sat down with ComputerWorld in an effort to set the record straight, for once and for all. He discusses how the agreement was reached and the "love-hate thing" that the two companies have going.

For more on the Novell's deal with the devil:
- see the ComputerWorld Q&A