Novell will honour all contractual obligations with its Australian customers and forge ahead with product development following the signing of a definitive merger agreement with Attachmate, according to Novell CEO, Ron Hovesepian.
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In a letter to customers, the chief executive wrote that the merger, valued at $US2.2 billion, would in no way affect the company’s support and maintenance.
“We place tremendous value on the relationships we’ve cultivated with our customers and I can assure you that providing you with the innovative products, solutions and support you’ve come to rely on remains a top priority,” the letter reads.
“We can also assure you that the planned transaction with Attachmate Corporation does not alter our obligations to honor all contractual commitments. This includes maintenance and technical support for our products. We continue to execute aggressively on our product development efforts….”
Hovespeian added that Novell had also announced the sale of parts its intellectual property assets to CPTN Holdings LLC, a consortium of technology companies headed by Microsoft for some $US450 million in cash.
“The sale of certain intellectual property assets will not impact customers,” the letter reads. “Customers will continue to be authorized to use Novell products under this intellectual property."
According to Hovesepian, Attachmate planned to retain both the Novell and SUSE brands and operate them as two separate business units. The chief executive also expected a “business as usual” scenario to continue until the merger transaction closed.
“We have no plans to change your current sales coverage or ordering practices,” the letter reads. “If you have any questions or wish to discuss this matter further, please feel free to contact your local sales leadership.”
Novell Australia has been contacted for comment on the effects of the merger on local customers and staff.
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