Press Release

Novell Brings The Internet Right To The Desktop

LAN WorkPlace 5 Ships; Offers Easy Access to Internet, TCP/IP, UNIX and NetWare Networks

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- May 30, 1995 -- Novell, Inc., the industry-leading supplier of desktop TCP/IP products, today announced version 5 of its popular LAN WorkPlace for MS Windows and DOS product. LAN WorkPlace 5 now includes a world-class Internet browser that extends the reach of users beyond traditional corporate information systems to give them powerful access to the world of the Internet. Additionally, LAN WorkPlace 5 includes several new features and enhancements to existing capabilities that simplify information access.

LAN WorkPlace 5 is Novell's premiere desktop TCP/IP solution, providing networked and remote Windows and DOS users with concurrent access to Internet, TCP/IP, UNIX and NetWare network resources. Its full-featured suite of WinSock-compliant applications include terminal emulation, drag-and-drop file transfer via File Transfer Protocol (FTP), transparent Network File System (NFS) file sharing and easy dial-in from remote locations.

With nearly three million users in over 30 countries, LAN WorkPlace is the global, industry-leading TCP/IP solution. LAN WorkPlace 5 builds upon Novell's expertise in the desktop TCP/IP market to deliver greater information access capabilities to meet expanding customer requirements. Designed specifically to extend desktop users' access to information and resources, LAN WorkPlace 5 incorporates Netscape Navigator and a Windows E-mail client to bring users directly into the realm of the Internet. This release also augments Novell's broader line of products for integrating NetWare and TCP/IP-based UNIX information systems.

"Easy and reliable information access is a fundamental requirement in today's networking environment," said Steve Tucker, vice president and general manager of Novell's Advanced Access Applications Division. "Enabling users to access information on diverse systems and networking environments, anytime, any place is essential in today's competitive business world. Today's announcement of LAN WorkPlace 5 takes the PC well beyond the desktop to give users expanded, simplified information access."

Summary of Features

New and enhanced applications and functionality of LAN WorkPlace 5 include:

  • Netscape Navigator --provides world-class Internet browser and news reader that lets users retrieve information and communicate on the Internet; users get easy, point-and-click access to text, graphics, sound and video files on the World Wide Web
  • Windows Mailer --provides an easy-to-use interface for sending and receiving messages and files over TCP/IP networks, including the Internet; supports Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) and the Post Office Protocol version 3 (POP3)
  • X-Server --lets users run X Windows-based applications on remote hosts (over both IP and IPX) right from their desktop
  • Windows Line Printer Daemon (LPD) and Line Printer Remote (LPR) print drivers --enable Windows and UNIX systems to share printers attached to either type of system
  • WinSock compliance --now all Windows applications may be run on any WinSock-compliant TCP/IP stack. Similarly, any other WinSock-compliant application may be run on Novell's client TCP/IP stack, which is included along with the NetWare client for DOS and Windows
  • Graphical installation and configuration --lets users easily install or reconfigure all LAN WorkPlace components including the NetWare client and TCP/IP protocols through a single interface
  • On-line manuals and help for quick answers
  • Improved Windows TN3270 terminal emulator --gives Windows users easy access to mainframe resources with their familiar commands
  • Improved terminal emulation using Telnet --Host Presenter now provides drag-and-drop keyboard remapping, enabling keystroke sequences to be simplified
  • Integrated NFS client --gives users transparent access to files on any host supporting the NFS standard
  • Integrated Windows Dialer --provides remote users with "on-demand" dial-in over standard phone lines using Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) or Serial Line Internet Protocol (SLIP)

"Novell's LAN WorkPlace 5 brings together many of the requirements that we have been seeking in a TCP/IP product," said Tom Hutton, technology research consultant within the Information Management Technology Planning group at Florida Power& Light. "The integration of the Windows-based dialer and a Windows-based configuration will greatly improve the ability to support the thousands of Windows-based PC nodes in our network. We have over 600 dial-up ports with over 1,000 dial-up users, and LWP's new features will allow these users to install, configure and run far more efficiently than in the past."

Pricing and Availability

LAN WorkPlace 5 is available immediately through Authorized Novell Channel Partners. Suggested retail pricing is US$399 for a single-user version; US$1,995 for a 10-user version; and US$12,995 for a 100-user version. Upgrades prices for the single-user, 10-user and 100-user versions are $100, $450 and $1,995, respectively.