Novell NDS eDirectory and iChain Net services software link employees, customers, partners around the globe

Novell, Inc., the leading provider of Net services software, today announced that Micro General Corporation (NASDAQ:MGEN) has selected Novell® Net services software to simplify, secure and accelerate their eBusiness activities on the Net. The selection of Novell by Micro General the leading provider of production and workflow software systems to the title and real estate industries, reflects the eBusiness momentum that Novell Net services is enabling in large corporations across a variety of industries. Micro General is using Novell NDS® eDirectory and iChain software to enable secure access to network resources, data and information, and improve business processes.

Novell Consulting helped Micro General deploy Net services that run seamlessly across any network - Internet, intranet, and extranet - resulting in numerous business benefits including centralized network management and the ability to secure and monitor who has access to network resources both within and outside the firewall. Most important, Micro General is providing employees, partners and customers with fast personalized "anytime, anywhere" access to the information they need.

"Micro General fully understands the value and competitive advantage of moving to an eBusiness model," said Paul Smart, vice president and general manager of Novell's Net Directory group. "Together eDirectory and iChain provide the Internet infrastructure building blocks needed to simplify, secure and accelerate the transformation to eBusiness for companies of all sizes. The momentum of our Net services software by companies like Micro General is indicative of the market opportunity for our channel and Consulting Systems Integrator partners."

Micro General Delivers Business Services Across the Net
Micro General offers a range of technology solutions to many of the nation's leading financial institutions today. Micro General selected Novell's NDS eDirectory and iChain based upon their ability to secure access to network resources, data and information which will improve business processes and help to centralize their data sharing processes to serve their worldwide users.

"We need to communicate through the Net not only with internal customers, but to subsidiaries, agents and other third parties," said Jim Murry, chief technology officer and chief information officer for Micro General. "By leveraging Novell's iChain, we can do this faster and easier than previously. As an example, we can now create a tailored intranet experience for each user - employees and clients - through user identities that are stored in eDirectory. This means that we can immediately identify any user and provide services depending on the user's company, location, and the access level, all on the Web from one location." In addition, Micro General expects a 100 percent return on the investment within three years. "In the past, in order to provide data to a third-party, we had to take into account a number of software and hardware configurations. Now all we have to ask is 'do you have a Web browser?'" Murry continued.

About Micro General
Micro General is a full-service enterprise solutions enabler offering a complete range of information technology services to the title, real estate and financial services industries. Primary expertise is found in the areas of managed application services, application development and integration, network, data and infrastructure management and IT outsourcing. Services include Internet enabling software and technologies; title, trust accounting, escrow and real estate related software development; and eCommerce transaction and document management capabilities. With more than 400 current installations, other service offerings encompass software and hardware installation, training and support capabilities.

Micro General's operating subsidiaries and affiliated companies employ more than 500 individuals nationwide, primarily in technical positions. To learn more about Micro General Corporation, visit our Web site at: www.microgeneral.com or call (949) 622-3927. In October 1999, Micro General was listed 47th in Bloomberg Financial Magazine's list of 100 Fastest-Growing U.S. Technology Companies. In addition, in September 2000, for the second consecutive year, the Orange County Business Journal ranked Micro General as The #1 Fastest-Growing Company in Orange County.

About Novell
Novell, Inc. (NASDAQ:NOVL), is the leading provider of Net services software that delivers services to secure and power all types of networks the Internet, intranets, and extranets; wired to wireless; corporate and public across leading operating systems. Novell's Net services software provides the foundation for one Net a single global network that supports new applications and forms of business. Worldwide channel, consulting, education and technical support programs, along with strategic alliances, combine Novell Net services software with third-party products and services to form complete Net solutions.

For information on Novell's complete range of products and services, contact Novell's Customer Response Center at (888) 321-4CRC (4272), or visit Novell's Web site at http://www.novell.com. Press may access Novell announcements and company information on the World Wide Web at http://www.novell.com/pressroom. In addition, detailed comparisons between Novell products and competitive offerings from other vendors are available on the Web at http://www.novell.com/competitive.

Novell and NDS are registered trademarks, BrainShare is a registered service mark, and eDirectory and iChain are trademarks of Novell, Inc. in the United States and other countries. *All third-party trademarks are the property of their respective owners