Novell Writes Next Chapter in Directory Strategy - Making Business on the Net Efficient and Secure

During a major press event held today at its Silicon Valley Conference Center, Novell, Inc. announced the next phase in its directory-based networking strategy by introducing software and partnerships that make e-business more simple and secure for organizations of all kinds and sizes. Today's announcements also highlighted the company's market focus on Net services software: a category of software that provides universal services to secure and power all types of networks - wired to wireless, corporate and public, the Internet, intranets, and extranets _ across all leading operating systems.

Novell's Net services software eliminates traditional network boundaries to help create one Net, a secure and efficient foundation for conducting business inside, outside and between organizations. Leading hardware, software, channel and consulting services vendors including BroadVision Inc., Compaq Computer Corporation, Eprise Corporation, IBM, INTERSHOP Communications Inc., JetForm Corporation, NetDocuments, PeopleSoft, Perot Systems, Plumtree Software Inc., Terasys Inc., Reliable Integration Services, Whittman-Hart Inc., and Wizmo joined forces with Novell to endorse and help bring to market the new Net services products unveiled today.

The new products advance Novell's strategy announced this fall, to make NDS eDirectory the foundation for e-business solutions that extend beyond the immediate enterprise to customers and supply-chain partners. NDS eDirectory is an open, standards-based directory service that is the foundation for managing network resources across all leading operating systems in one Net environments. Novell also announced partnerships that combine the power of its Net services software with third-party products and services to result in complete Net solutions.

New Novell Net Services Software

The new Novell Net services software products and associated partnerships announced today (see separate releases) are:

• iChain, secure intranet and extranet integration services that become the foundation for linking business processes between multiple companies, through the Net, and for supplying net-based services in a hosted environment, with full billing systems integration. An extension of NDS eDirectory services, iChain(tm) allows fine-grained security to be established between organizations, while simplifying the way in which rights and privileges are managed. Groups of users or entire companies/organizations can be assigned security privileges that reflect their role in a business process, to receive secure, controlled access to the information and applications they need. iChain will be made available via a controlled release to select Novell partners within 60 days of today's announcement.
  
  For an expanding ecosystem of Novell partners, including software vendors and system integrators, iChain provides a much-needed platform to build new applications and business processes that leverage or re-purpose information already captured. As an example, today Whittman-Hart announced a new iChain initiative called e-Catalog, an end-to-end e-commerce solution that allows companies to leverage their ERP software investment and offer their Internet customers a personalized catalog of products and services.



• ZENworks for Servers, a Net services management product that simplifies and centralizes management of multiple servers across networks. ZENworks for Servers also allows administrators to set policies that automatically distribute content (such as server application updates) anywhere on the Net, to manage how and when policies are enforced. ZENworks for Servers will be available in early March.



• ZENworks for Networks, Net services software that allows organizations to establish policies that automate the management of network equipment and control quality of service across multiple networks. Rules, policies and bandwidth limits can be applied by application or user on devices from many different vendors, including Cisco, 3Com and Lucent, to efficiently align network use with real business needs. For example, ZENworks(tm) for Networks gives network equipment makers the ability to provide a new class of network services to their customers as well as improve the overall management and delivery of network resources. ZENworks for Networks is shipping now.



• Novell eGuide, a software applications service that gives users in organizations a powerful but simple way to quickly find and make one-click connections with the people, places and things across networks, all from a single location on the Net. Novell eGuide will be available the week of Feb. 14, 2000.

One Net Demonstration

Joining with systems integrator partner Whittman-Hart, and independent software vendors Eprise and Jetforms, Novell walked step by step through demonstrations of NDS eDirectory, iChain, ZENworks for Networks, ZENworks for Servers and Novell eGuide working together with partner software and services in a "one Net" setting. The demonstration was based on real-world organizational scenarios - for example, a company that, through a third-party hosted extranet, is offering software leasing to its customers and partners; and an organization looking for a more efficient way for employees to manage their own travel arrangements via the Web. The demonstrations also illustrated challenges faced by system integrators who need a framework that can be easily adapted to different markets and customer requirements and showed how they can utilize Novell Net services software to provide these solutions.

"The Net economy is about creating greater efficiencies in doing business, and making the Net experience personal and compelling," said Steve Adams, Novell senior vice president for worldwide marketing. "With products like these, and the support of our partners, Novell is providing organizations with a way to adapt and accelerate their transformation to e-business. Net services software simplifies the management and control of all networks, creates a secure foundation for doing business on the Net, and helps deliver a consistent and high-quality experience to end users in all locations."

Partner quotes can be viewed here.

About Novell

Novell, Inc. (NASDAQ:NOVL), is a 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. Net Services software gives IT organizations a way to adapt and accelerate their transformation to e-business, simplify the management and control of all networks, create a secure foundation for doing business on the Net, and help deliver a consistent and high-quality experience to end users in all locations. 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/advantage.

Novell and NDS are registered trademarks, and eDirectory, iChain and ZENworks are trademarks of Novell, Inc. in the United States and other countries. All third-party trademarks are the property of their respective owners.