Prior to the time period covered in the article, 3Com had a major disaster in Software. We were losing badly in competition with Novell in the Network Operating System category (though I and others would argue we had a technically superior product) and decided that we would partner with Microsoft and overpower Novell that way. Big mistake.

I was only a consultant at 3Com during this time, so I may have some of the details wrong, but 3Com essentially bet the success of its software division on the partnership. We built a product called 3+Open that was based on OS/2 Lan Manager. The product flopped. But unfortunately 3Com had agreed to multi-million-dollar, fixed annual license payments to Microsoft for OS/2. (Which may have been the right choice had the product been successful.)

To get out of the license payments, 3Com gave all its LAN software IP to Microsoft and exited that business. Microsoft used that technology in Windows NT Lan Manager and essentially destroyed Novell.

If you want details, the Bill Gates Biography "Hard Drive: Bill Gates and the Making of the Microsoft Empire" tells the story of that failed partnership.