Press Release

Novell Outlines Plans For Advancing Networking Client Technology

Demonstrates Clients for Windows, Windows NT and Windows 95 that Provide Optimized, Easy Access to NetWare Directory Services & Other NetWare 4 Core Services

NETWORLD+INTEROP, Las Vegas, NV--March 28, 1995--Novell, Inc., today outlined its plans for advancing its cross-platform networking clients while demonstrating 32-bit clients for Windows, Windows NT and Windows 95 here at the NetWorld+Interop trade show. This client roadmap reaffirms Novell's long-standing commitment to provide the best networking clients for all major desktop operating systems and to provide the best, easiest client access to NetWare's network services.

"Novell has always been the leading provider of high-performance networking clients for any desktop customers may choose, and we are committed to remaining the market leader in networking heterogeneous desktop computers," said Toby Corey, vice president of Marketing for Novell's NetWare Products Division. "We are also committed to ensuring our NetWare clients will offer our customers the fastest, most comprehensive access to the advanced network services in NetWare 4 of any clients on the market." In addition to industry-standard directory services, the core network services provided in NetWare 4 include integrated messaging, multiprotocol routing, management, security, file and print.

Novell Clients Today: Providing Mature, Robust, Reliable Network Access

Novell has provided desktop connectivity solutions since 1982 when the first NetWare Client for DOS was introduced. The NetWare client solutions available today--NetWare Client for DOS/Windows, the NetWare Client for OS/2, NetWare for Macintosh, and the NetWare Unix Client offered in UnixWare 2 binary and source code products--offer the fastest, most reliable and most robust connectivity to NetWare services available. Because of Novell's commitment to building networking clients for all major desktops, NetWare is the only network operating system that allows users to select the desktop operating system that best meets the needs of their business while ensuring them seamless access to network services.

Novell continues to advance client networking solutions to ensure all computer users receive high-performance client technology with leading features. This commitment ensures that NetWare users get the productivity edge necessary for success in today's competitive business environments.

Advanced Clients: Providing Next-Generation Access to NetWare

Novell is extending its client technology by providing 32-bit networking clients that are tightly integrated with new 32-bit desktop operating system environments, giving customers greater performance, greater network integration with the desktop of their choice and improved access to NetWare services. Novell's 32-bit clients will support all 32-bit desktops, including Windows NT, Windows 95 and OS/2, among others.

Based on the 32-bit networking technology of NetWare, Novell's 32-bit clients extend Novell's depth of networking experience and 32-bit server-based applications, or NetWare Loadable Modules (NLMs), to the industry's emerging 32-bit desktop operating systems. These next-generation clients provide customers with several advantages:

    -Better integration with customers' native desktop environment.
    -Higher performance--up to a three to four times faster, depending on the operations performed.
    -Improved ease of use.
    -Access to all network services provided by NetWare 4, including industry-standard directory services as well as integrated messaging, telephony, multiprotocol routing, management, security, file and print.
    -Increased client network fault tolerance, including data caching and auto-reconnection of files, locks, drives and printers.
    -Reduced cost of managing desktops through centralized updates, installation, backup, software inventory, node profiling and software licensing. Administrators will be able to automate repetitive tasks and do node maintenance and troubleshooting from a central location.
    -Increased productivity. NetWare clients will offer customers a seamless extension to the network, giving them seamless access to network services as if they were on the desktop.
    -More robust developer support. Developers will access a consistent NetWare API for all platforms that provides consistent access to NetWare services regardless of the developer's environment.

NetWare Client for Windows NT

The next release of Novell client technology will be the NetWare Client for Windows NT, which will be available when current beta testing is complete, expected to be in the second quarter of 1995. The NetWare Client for Windows NT enables Windows NT workstations to tightly integrate into NetWare networks. Users can log in once to their NT workstation and access all services on their NetWare network.

A key feature of Novell's NetWare Client for Windows NT is its full support for NetWare Directory Services (NDS), which no other Windows NT client on the market provides. NT clients can take full advantage of all the powerful features in NDS, including transparent access to all resources on the network regardless of where they are physically located. Users have full access to NetWare 4's NetWare Administrator utility, which gives users a single point of network administration.

In addition to providing access to NetWare services, Novell's NetWare Client for Windows NT includes A full set of NetWare APIs and protocols which provide server-based applications running on NT the ability to integrate with NetWare advanced services and to support Windows NT server as an application server in a NetWare environment.

Additional features of Novell's NetWare Client for NT include support for both Windows NT 3.1 and 3.5, full access to NetWare file and print services through NT File Manager and NT Print Manager, support for all NetWare 4.1-certified server LAN drivers, support for both IPX and NetWare IP transport protocols for accessing NetWare services, and compatibility with any DOS or Win16 application for backward compatibility.

Availability of Novell's NetWare Clients

Unix clients are built into each vendor's respective version of Unix. All other new clients from Novell will initially be made available free of charge on Novell's NetWire forum on CompuServe, and will subsequently be bundled with the NetWare network operating system. The following table summarizes the current status of Novell's major NetWare client efforts.

ClientStatusAvailabilityNetWare Client for DOS/WindowsVersion 1.2 new in NetWare 4.1Available nowNetWare Client for OS/2Supports WarpAvailable nowNetWare for MacintoshIncluded in NetWare 4.1Available nowNetWare Client for UnixIncluded in UnixWare 2; binary and source code productsAvailable nowNetWare Client for Windows NTIn beta testing2Q9532-bit clients for Windows and Windows 95In developmentConcurrent with shipment of Windows 95NetWare Client for MacintoshIn development3Q95