Novell Leads in Resource Management Market

Novell today announced it continues to strengthen its leadership position in resource management, an area critical to helping customers rein in out-of-control costs in increasingly complex enterprises. ZENworks®, Novell's flagship resource management suite, has registered positive revenue growth in seven consecutive quarters and has added 4 million new users in the past two years. Novell recently delivered ZENworks 7, with new features including asset management. As a result, customers can manage resources cost effectively and securely, while meeting growing compliance demands across both corporate and government regulations. Customers, including TAG Aviation, ITV and Leeds City Council, are recognizing significant cost savings and generating rapid returns on their investment with ZENworks.

“There is little doubt that managing a dynamic and diverse enterprise has become more complicated,” said Fred Broussard, IDC research manager. “The rapid proliferation of computing devices, such as desktops, laptops and handhelds, coupled with growing external challenges like damaging viruses and strict compliance requirements, has created a need for IT organizations to take a more proactive and aggressive approach to their resource management challenges.”

To support these and other emerging customer needs, Novell continues to enhance its resource management offerings. ZENworks 7 Suite, launched in August, is the first systems management solution that automates the complete life-cycle of Linux* systems and allows users to manage Windows* workstations from a Linux platform. The new ZENworks 7 Asset Management solution provides improved functionality to better track and audit the multiple software licenses for applications deployed across the enterprise.

Customer productivity

A strategic approach to resource management is about more than tracking devices and managing individual assets; it is about improving productivity. Businesses such as TAG Aviation, the largest business jet charter company in Europe, are taking advantage of Novell's unique identity-based approach that focuses on an organization's people, not just its technology.

“With Novell ZENworks, we can deploy security patches and upgrades to our desktops with the push of a button, ensuring that all employees are compliant with our stringent security requirements,” said Moise Gerson, IT manager at TAG Aviation. “Novell helps make our IT team more efficient when it comes to deploying needed software, imaging the desktop, simplifying server management and reducing our total cost of ownership. Leveraging ZENworks will ultimately help make us more successful in a very competitive business environment.”

ITV, the largest commercial television network in the UK,needed a way to centrally manage, deploy and maintain the company's 600 applications and computing resources spread out over 90 diverse locations.

“We had already made a significant investment in Linux and other Novell products across our enterprise and needed to take the next step in resource management,” said Nick Leake, director of operations and infrastructure at ITV. “We believe that Novell ZENworks technology is superior to anything else in the marketplace. With ZENworks, we can deploy applications enterprise-wide in a matter of hours.”

To manage more than 10,000 desktops, the Leeds City Council relies on Novell ZENworks to image a PC in a matter of minutes. Instead of spending weeks manually installing applications, the IT staff will use ZENworks to deliver applications enterprise-wide in a day. Novell ZENworks also aids the council in keeping its system patched and updated against viruses.

“With over 10,000 desktops and almost 400 different applications, Novell ZENworks is a major factor in reducing our support costs,” said Phil Bevan, business impact manager at Leeds City Council. “We're always looking for ways to reduce the administrative burden on IT and divert resources to more important projects.”

“The growth we are seeing in our ZENworks product line is evidence that we are effectively anticipating the future needs of our customers,” said David Litwack, Novell senior vice president and general manager for Identity-Driven Products. “Security, license compliance, growing numbers of computing devices and the need for cost-savings remain key issues for customers no matter what their line of business.”