The company trumpeted its role as a founding member of the Linux Foundation, a merger of theOpen Source Development Labs and the Free Standards Group. The two nonprofits have led in the promotion of Linux as an alternative to the predominant Microsoft Windows.

The new organization will promote common programming standards that are "critical to the success of Linux," said Markus Rex, Novell's vice president for services strategy. "The Linux Foundation's efforts on standards and certification, its legal and community activities, and its advisory councils will provide important benefits to our customers and the open source community."