Behind Wal-Mart's support of Microsoft-Novell's deal

Microsoft's press release trumpeting Wal-Mart's support of the Microsoft-Novell technology partnership announced last November omits some interesting details.

In the January 23 release, Microsoft says Wal-Mart is "embracing" the Microsoft-Novell interoperability deal.

But who brokered that pact? Microsoft's Chief Operating Officer Kevin Turner. And Turner just happened to be Wal-Mart's CIO before joining Microsoft. Nice to have connections....

Not too surprisingly, Microsoft's press release also doesn't admit that Wal-Mart is a Red Hat Linux customer and is planning to supplement -- not replace -- its existing Red Hatsystems with Windows Server and SuSE Linux Enterprise Server.

Some say that there is genuine customer support out there for the Microsoft-Novell deal. Any users out there kicking the tires of SuSE Linux simply because Microsoft is now giving the operating system its blessing?

I'm interested in hearing from some real customers -- not ones touted by PR teams -- who believe the Microsoft-Novell deal is going to make their lives easier. Anybody?