Attachmate and MicroFocus to merge, SUSE Linux unaffected

in linux on 2014-09-17 11:04 (#2SGG)

Richard Brown reported on Google Plus that Attachmate has entered into an agreement with Micro Focus, a UK enterprise software company. Under the terms of the agreement, both institutions will merge. You might already know that Attachmate is the company that owns and manages SUSE Linux out of Nurenburg, Germany. So what does this mean for SUSE and OpenSUSE? Maybe nothing! That's great news. From the letter sent by Attachmate to the Board of Directors of SUSE Linux:

* Business as Usual: There are no changes planned for the SUSE business structure and leadership. There is no need for any action by
the openSUSE Project as a result of this announcement.

* Commitment to Open Source: SUSE remains passionately committed to innovation through Open Source. This has always been the foundation of our business and that will continue as we grow and innovate in new areas.

* Commitment to openSUSE: SUSE is also fully committed to being a sponsor and supporter of an open, highly independent and dynamic openSUSE community and project. We are proud of openSUSE and greatly value the collaborative relationship between SUSE and the openSUSE community.

* The combination of the Attachmate Group and Micro Focus creates a larger, global enterprise software entity, operating at a greater global scale. This provides an even stronger foundation for the continued investment in SUSE and our continued innovation through Open Source."

That's good news for fans of the openSUSE Linux distro, as well as SUSE customers everywhere. I would argue that Attachmate's purchase of SUSE from Novell was the best thing that happened to SUSE in years; glad this isn't going to have an impact on a great distro.

El Reg (Score: 1)

by zafiro17@pipedot.org on 2014-09-17 13:48 (#2SGV)

Here it is courtesy of the Register.co.uk, too: good article.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/09/16/attachmate_micro_focus_merger/

Attachmate, the software shop that headhunted Novell and SUSE Linux, is itself being bought out by Micro Focus International.

The mainframe and COBOL specialist is acquiring Attachmate Group from its parent company Wizard in a deal calculated at $2.3bn before costs.

Micro Focus is taking Attachmate Group in exchange for 86.60 million shares, in a deal described as a merger. The combined companies will create a "leading global infrastructure software company" with revenue of $1.4bn, Micro Focus said. The deal is expected to close in November.

It also represents a "significant increase in the scale and breadth of Micro Focus."

The deal will allow the new company to offer products and services spanning Linux and host connectivity in addition to mainframe modernization and COBOL.

Attachmate gives MicroFocus access to SUSE and Novell, business units bought by the company in 2010 for $2.2bn. Novell owned SUSE Linux, which it had bought in 2003 for $210m. Under Attachmate, the two were broken apart.

$2.3B is one helluvalotta cash.