Novell's Next Generation NetWare to Address Exploding Market for Storage Area Networks and Net Services Software Hosting

• Next-generation NetWare provides critical network-based information storage and consolidation
• New storage capabilities are the most powerful ever, paving the way for customers' move to eBusiness
• Next-generation NetWare to meet demands of global data centers of all sizes, complementing NetWare 5.1 and Novell Small Business Suite 5.1 products

Novell, Inc., the leading provider of Net services software, today announced the next generation of the NetWare Net services platform to manage the exploding need for ever-larger amounts of network-based information storage. Novell's next generation NetWare will integrate heterogeneous corporate networks into the emerging one Net economy as companies make the jump to eBusiness. Built on proven, market-leading reliability and security, the next version of NetWare gains important new network storage management capabilities that integrate file, messaging, database and directory storage for Web-based one Net solutions. In addition, it supports fail-safe clustered arrays of up to 32 servers to make it the optimal platform for deploying Net services software.

"The future, and value, of NetWare in one Net solutions is certain," said Eric Schmidt, chairman and CEO of Novell. "We've made it a key enabler as a hosting platform for Net services that secure and simplify networks and accelerate the move to eBusiness solutions. Significantly, next-generation NetWare moves network storage management to an Internet model that simultaneously simplifies file and resource access control for Windows*, UNIX*, Linux* and other desktops across one Net solutions. No one else can readily provide the level of multiplatform integration that we will deliver with this product."

Novell will offer three configurations of NetWare to make it easy to deploy Net services software as required by large data centers, midsize companies or smaller organizations. All will ship with NDS eDirectory, the industry-leading directory providing identity and resource management for one Net solutions. NetWare 6 will host Net services as deployed in data centers and add new capabilities that make the product more powerful and usable in multisystem environments across all sizes of organizations. In addition, NetWare 5.1 and Novell Small Business Suite 5.1 will continue to serve the market.

NetWare 6 to Host Net Services Software Deployed in Large Data Centers to Small Firms

Targeted at mission-critical installations that support the business needs of large data centers to small firms, NetWare 6 focuses on a core customer requirement in eBusiness: integrating the massive and disparate types of storage (files, messaging, databases and directories) that eBusiness is generating. Other key features of NetWare 6 include:

• Ability to cluster up to 32 systems to provide the round-the-clock access required for today's Net economy.
• Symmetrical multiprocessing (SMP) that lets users harness the power of up to 32 processors, adding even more power to enable companies to effectively handle the exponential growth eBusiness brings.
• Full-featured Novell Storage Services (NSS) to handle any storage requirements by supporting billions of volumes and directories, with each volume capable of holding billions of files, each one up to eight terabytes in size. It also takes advantage of all the processors available in the server.

According to Gary Light, CTO for Capital Region HealthCare, NetWare is a key component of CRHC's infrastructure and will continue to be as their needs evolve and grow. "NetWare's storage, print, directory and management superiority is complemented by the solution's extreme reliability," Light said. "Reliability and security are expected in a NOS at all levels. Novell's cross-platform strategy provides this by allowing us to choose best-of-breed products which meet our current needs and our future needs as we grow and change."

Novell business objectives for NetWare 6 include continuing to increase site-license deployments of NetWare. NetWare site-license sales by channel partners and Novell were up 5 percent in the first nine months of fiscal 2000. For 2000, the NetWare site-license run rate represents $362 million in annualized revenue for the company.

Pricing, Availability and eLearning Support

NetWare 6 is currently in a controlled beta release and will be available in the first half of 2001. Pricing will be announced at a later date. For pricing and purchase information for the currently available NetWare 5.1 and Novell Small Business Suite 5.1, see http://www.novell.com/products/netware and http://www.novell.com/products/smallbiz. To support next-generation NetWare customers, Novell Education offers a suite of always-available Web-based learning services, including online forums, mentoring and labs. For more information, see http://www.novell.com/education.

 

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