Novell is planning to release Nterprise Linux Services 1.0, aka Hamachi, aka Yellowtail, the integrated package of file, print, messaging, directory and management services it salvaged from NetWare and put on Red Hat and SUSE LINUX, in December, but it's not expecting much from the thing by way of revenues.

At least that's what Novell CEO Jack Messman told analysts Thursday.

Messman said the company, which continues to rack up losses and whose revenues are depressed, doesn't expect to make much money off the kit until the second version hits late next summer. "That's when we’ll see a significant uptick in revenue from the network services on Linux," he predicted.

Novell vice-chairman Chris Stone expects NLS 2.0, which is code named Maguro, aka Tuna, to roll out around May or June. "We're exploring ways to speed up this introduction," Messman said.

Stone said Groupwise for Linux would also ship around then. Currently in beta, Groupwise for Linux will include Groupwise client and server services running entirely on Linux.

Since buying Ximian, Novell has integrated its Red Carpet Enterprise patch system into NLS 1.0.

With Novell about to buy SUSE and compete against Red Hat, Messman remarked that Novell currently has 600 employees trained to support NLS and Linux, a support staff for Linux equal to Red Hat's entire workforce.

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