SCO News Roundup: 4/23 SNR

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

4/23 SNR

Ok, this is a bit late, as usual. I got started compiling a list of news stories about the dead SNCP deal, and never quite got around to posting it. It'd be a shame for all that work to go to waste, I guess, so I'll attach that at the end in case you really feel like reading old news. But first, the new and newish stuff...

As always, whenever SCO has actual product news I try to lead off with it. It's a thing with me, I guess. It's big news even when it isn't inherently big news, just because it's so rare anymore. At this point, whenever something new or updated hits the street, there's a chance it just might be the very last product SCO ever releases. So the latest out of Lindon is the colossal, stupendous Shout Postcard 1.1. Among the thrilling new features: It would run on more mobile phones if anyone wanted to; there's an audit trail to track what these hypothetical users use the software for, if anything; and it's available in Japanese, in the unlikely event anyone in Japan would be caught dead using a big, clunky American mobile phone. Still, as I said, big, big news
In recent years there have been far more announced SCO products than released ones, so this item isn't quite as big news as the first. Seems that SCO's teaming up with Franklin-Covey for some sort of Me Inc. personal organizer / time management doodad. Eerily similar to the old DT4 app they promised and apparently never quite delivered as part of an erstwhile partnership with Day-Timers. Also eerily similar to the interweb-based Franklin Planner stuff Darl was in charge of during his own Franklin-Covey days.

This announcement has actually gotten a bit of press, believe it or not. Stories at the Salt Lake Tribune, Telecommunications Magazine, techrockies, and TMCNet. Possibly this is all because Franklin-Covey stuff is a big deal in some quarters. Ok, so the TMCNet piece strongly resembles the press release, and the techrockies blurb is short. The other two are ok, though, and tell you probably everything there is to know about the deal. Unusually, the press release does have a quote from a VP at Franklin Covey, but the SL Trib story includes the line "Representatives of FranklinCovey did not return calls Tuesday seeking comment.".
Ok, let's be honest here. You don't really care about SCO products, real or otherwise, and neither do I. Luckily there's stuff going on in the legal world too, so let's talk about that instead. In the BK case, April 21st was the cutoff date to file a proof of claim. Basically creditors were supposed to file a form stating how much money they want from SCO, or in some cases that they want an amount TBD later. You can explore all the filings here if you want to. A few highlights: Novell wants the $30M they intend to win from SCO, assuming SCO v. Novell ever goes to trial. IBM has a $0 placeholder claim for whatever they win from SCO, assuming SCO v. IBM ever goes to trial. SuSE asks for a bit over $1M over the Swiss arbitration, but says this is a preliminary number and notes the final one may be more like $50-100M. Sun (yes, Sun) also has a $0 claim, which reads as if they're threatening or preparing to sue SCO, presumably over their infamous SCOSource deal. Citi Financial wants $3M, but only if SCO stops supporting UnixWare 7.1.3. Amici (the infamous Boies tentacle) wants $440k for their usual "document handling" services. A former employee stakes a claim relating to a current age discrimination + harassment complaint. And the hits just keep on coming.
On GL, a bit about SCO's latest monthly operating report, such as it is. Several GL readers of the accounting persuasion point out various inadequacies with the latest report. Although I have to admit I don't entirely grok what they're saying, not being of the accounting persuasion myself.
The 23rd was the deadline for SCO to file its trial brief for the Novell case (Novell filed theirs back in September, prior to the original trial date). So far no sign of it, although I don't have a PACER account to check directly. Kimball's order setting the deadline & trial date mentions that filing a trial brief is optional. They may just be putting as little time and effort as possible into the case, with even the remaining optimists at SCO just hoping to get the thing over with so they can appeal and win those guaranteed gazillions, or whatever.
Oh, and they've announced SCO Tec Forum 2008, so mark your calendars. Still in Vegas, still in August, but this year it's moved from the Mirage casino to the Planet Hollywood casino. Because, well, the Mirage has a BK claim against SCO for unpaid bills relating to last year's SCO Tec Forum. Including someone's $71 room service tab, if you can believe that. So it's off to a new casino this year. The announcement claims Stephen Norris himself will appear at the event, although I imagine that all depends on whether we ever see a revised SNCP deal, and whether the BK court goes along with the deal. The original deal proposal said NewNewSCO would unveil a shiny new business plan and a shiny new board of directors at Sco Tec Forum 2008. Without the deal, the event will probably be far less interesting. Rumor has it the annual meeting of SCO users and resellers will be held in parallel with the event. In the hotel bar. Last booth on the right. Although if things go badly in the courtroom, they may move it out to the parking lot, strictly BYOB.