Taking a swing at Microsoft Corp.'s dominance on the corporate desktop, Novell Inc. has brought out the Novell Open Workgroup Suite, which repackages several open-source applications and tools under new licensing terms. The company hopes to take advantage of debates within businesses over whether to upgrade to Microsoft's new Vista operating system and Office 2007 products.

Sun names Douglas to new eco VP post

Sun Microsystems Inc. has named David Douglas vice president of eco-responsibility. Douglas will work to boost the company's strategy of ensuring that products meet environmental standards. He had been vice president of engineering in Sun's Solaris unit before leaving in 2001 to found ConnecTerra Inc. In his new post, Douglas reports to Chief Technology Officer Greg Papadopoulos.

Cisco's Q3 revenue is up, profits flat

Cisco Systems Inc. reported increased revenue and flat profits for its third quarter. CEO John Chambers told analysts that the sales growth occurred across the company's businesses.