Novell Announces Support for the Intel Pentium Pro Processor

NetWare 4.1 and Pentium Pro Processor-based Network Solutions Deliver Unparalleled Price/Performance and Scalability for Network Services

"As the world leaders in networking software and microprocessor architectures, Novell and Intel have long worked together to provide customers with the fastest, most scalable network solutions available," said Richard King, executive vice president and general manager of Novell's Systems Group. "Today, Novell's NetWare 4.1 is the clear industry leader in providing the network platform and services--including NetWare Directory Services® (NDS®)--needed to create smart networks that connect individuals and enterprises throughout the world. As these networks develop, we will continue our partnership with Intel to ensure our customers get the greatest benefit possible from advancing server technologies."

Network solutions based on Novell's industry-leading NetWare 4.1 network operating system and Intel's Pentium Pro processor deliver the price/performance and scalability customers need to create fast, affordable and easily expandable business information systems. At today's Pentium Pro processor server event, both Compaq Computer Corp. and Zenith Data Systems Corp. demonstrated NetWare 4.1 SMP running on four-processor Pentium Pro server platforms (Compaq on its ProLiant system and Zenith Data systems on its Z-SERVER system). Additionally, in conjunction with Oracle, Compaq and SCO, Novell demonstrated UnixWare® running Oracle 7 Parallel Server and an advanced clustering technology.

"With NDS and NetWare 4.1 SMP, Novell is clearly connecting the enterprise," said Dave House, vice president and general manager of Intel's Enterprise Server Group. "Scalable, affordable high-performance servers based on the Intel Pentium Pro processor are the ideal platform for these new features."

NetWare 4.1, the latest iteration of the world's most popular networking software, currently supports the Pentium Pro processor. NetWare 4.1 SMP--a software add-on that enables NetWare 4.1 to take advantage of multiple processors in a single server--was designed specifically to take advantage of the Pentium Pro processor's advanced caching to provide even greater performance in the NetWare environment. NetWare 4.1 SMP and the Pentium Pro processor provide a fast, scalable platform for all network services, including the database and groupware services becoming increasingly important in the enterprise. Groupware and database applications designed to take advantage of NetWare 4.1 SMP--such as Novell's GroupWise and NetWare SMP-optimized databases recently announced by Oracle and Sybase--automatically gain performance benefits from the design enhancements of the Pentium Pro processor.

Additionally, the NetWare 4.1 SMP/Pentium Pro processor combination enables customers to consolidate these network services on a single, standard high-volume server, allowing them to centralize network administration and reduce hardware costs. Future releases of NetWare 4 will continue to enhance optimization of NetWare for the Pentium Pro processor as well as future Intel microprocessor architectures, both in single processor and multiprocessor configurations.

"In addition to the advantages the Pentium Pro processor brings to NetWare 4.1, we're also excited by the impact the Pentium Pro processor will have on Intel-based Unix," said Richard King. "Unix servers running line-of-business applications are becoming increasingly important in the enterprise, with NetWare providing the ®glue' that ties these application servers into the network fabric. The UnixWare clustering technology demonstrated today in conjunction with Oracle, Compaq and SCO shows why Unix continues to be an important part of our strategy moving forward and why UnixWare continues to be a premier application server for the NetWare environment."

NetWare 4.1 Provides Industry's Leading Network Platform and Services

NetWare 4.1, the latest iteration of the world's leading network operating system, simplifies network access, simplifies network administration and reduces the cost of network ownership for businesses of all sizes while retaining the performance, reliability and scalability that have made NetWare the overwhelming NOS leader. NetWare 4.1 provides customers with NetWare Directory Services, the industry-leading directory service that turns a multiserver network into a single, integrated information system. Based on the strength of NetWare Directory Services, PC Magazine awarded NetWare 4.1 its Editor's Choice for network operating systems (May 30, 1995) over Microsoft NT Server, IBM OS/2 LAN Server and Banyan VINES. In all NetWare 4.1 has won 12 top product awards given by industry publications over the past 10 months, including awards determined on technical merit (InfoWorld Test Center award, March 20, 1995), awards chosen by resellers (Best Enterprise NOS, Best Departmental NOS and Best Overall Product of the Year, Network VAR, September 1995), and awards chosen by customers (Infoworld Reader's Choice award, March 20, 1995).

Product Availability

NetWare 4.1 is available from Novell's global reseller channel in configurations ranging from 5- to 1,000-users. For pricing and additional information, customers can contact their local Novell reseller, contact their local Novell office or call 1-800-NETWARE. NetWare 4.1 SMP--a software add-on providing symmetric multiprocessing capabilities for NetWare 4.1--is offered through 18 of the world's leading server providers: Acer, AT&T GIS, Compaq, Dell, Digital Equipment, Fujitsu, Hewlett-Packard, Hitachi, IBM, ICL, NEC, NetFRAME, Olivetti, Sony, Tricord, Toshiba, Unisys and Zenith Data Systems. For pricing and additional information, customers can contact the hardware providers listed above, contact their local Novell office or call 1-800-NETWARE.

Press Contact: Kelly Hindley Novell, Inc. 801-429-5870 Internet: kelly_hindley@novell.com