Press Release

Novell Delivers Intranet Ready Network Solutions

Novell Takes the Corporate Network into the Next Generation of Computing

BURLINGAME, Calif. -- August 20, 1996 -- Novell, Inc. today introduced and demonstrated the products and technologies customers need to evolve their business networks into full-service intranets. Novell's new generation of Intranet Ready™ solutions announced here today include IntranetWare™, a new product that continues the evolution of NetWare®, the world's leading network operating system, into a full-service intranet and Internet access platform for business. In addition, Novell discussed the role in business intranets of its leading network application products, including GroupWise™ E-mail and collaboration software and the ManageWise network management solution. Novell also outlined its plans to make its distributed network services available across all major intranet platforms and demonstrated a pilot version of its Novell Directory Services™ (NDS™) running on Microsoft Windows NT.

Novell views a full-service intranet as a secure business network, based on Internet technologies and open standards, that also provides the complete set of distributed network services required for mission-critical business. Novell has already established its leadership in providing this infrastructure of distributed services for business networks, including directory, security, web, management, messaging, file and print. Moving forward, Novell is now enhancing its network services with Internet technologies and compliance with open standards to support the migration of new and exisiting customers to intranets. In the process, Novell has refined its business model to incorporate two core businesses: advancing its full-service intranet platform, IntranetWare, and expanding its market-leading distributed services, including NDS, to run across other major platforms on intranets and the Internet.

"Novell has listened to our customers and responded with the solutions they need to evolve their business networks to intranets," said Robert J. Frankenberg, Novell chairman and CEO. "As the world leader in network software, Novell is positioned to move businesses into the future with a secure, scalable intranet platform and distributed services that run across all major client and server platforms. As always, we will make our customers more competitive while protecting their investments and preserving their flexibility and freedom of choice."

"When Novell released NetWare, it changed the industry's conversation from network hardware to the network operating system," said Steve Markman, executive vice president and general manager of the Novell Products Group. "Today, we are helping to change the conversation from the network operating system to the intranet. In this new conversation, the network operating system becomes a choice, not a requirement. And Novell will offer our customers the best choices for both complete intranet platforms and distributed network services."

Intranet Ready Solutions

Today's Novell briefing focused on new and existing products and how they will enable customers to create full-service intranets.

IntranetWare -- A complete server operating environment that continues the evolution of NetWare into a full-service intranet platform:

  • Offers all features and distributed services included in NetWare 4.11;
  • Includes integrated Web server, browser and authoring tools;
  • Provides IPX/SPX-to-IP gateway for intranet services within existing IPX networks;
  • Integrates multiprotocol routing to build wide-area intranets; and
  • Delivers user and group-level security tied to Novell Directory Services.
NetWare 4.11 -- Newest release of the world's leading network operating system:
  • Built-in support for symmetric multiprocessing (SMP) for increased scalability and power to run enterprise-wide intranet applications;
  • NetBasic, a Basic scripting tool for access to network services and fast development of intranet applications utilizing NDS;
  • New graphical network administration tools, including NetWare Administrator™ (NWAdmin™) to better manage companies' network and NDS environments;
  • C2-level security to protect sensitive data during transmission across networks;
  • Improved network migration and installation utilities; and
  • NLS, a licensing service that allows organizations to track and monitor the use of licensed software across networks.
ManageWise 2.1 -- A complete end-to-end PC network management system for heterogenous intranets that increases network reliability and performance:
  • Enables customers to manage mixed networks of NetWare and Windows NT servers from a single console;
  • Integrates with leading Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) products from HP, IBM, Sun and others; and
  • Access from a Web browser to simplify remote and outsourced management, due in 1997.
GroupWise 5 -- Novell's premier intranet application, an expanded E-mail and document management system for communication and collaboration over intranets and the Internet:
  • Features full document and image management capabilities with a new Universal Mail Box;
  • Works with GroupWise Web Access for access to the Universal Mail Box from any Web browser;
  • Provides calendaring, scheduling and other vital groupware functions over Internet and intranet connections; and
  • Runs across all major server and client platforms.
NDS -- Novell's industry-standard global directory service that reduces the cost of network ownership and administration by providing access to all network resource information from a single location and login:
  • Will provide users with a platform-independent directory infrastructure for accessing and managing all network resources on the Internet and intranets;
  • Will support emerging LDAP standard and communication with LDAP-compliant browsers and servers later this year; and
  • Available on multiple server platforms including leading UNIX platforms today and Windows NT in early 1997.
NetWare Web Server™/InnerWeb Publisher™ -- The fastest Web server in its class that allows customers to easily build and maintain corporate Web sites, both internally and externally.
  • Enables users to access and publish HTML documents on corporate intranets and the Web;
  • Provides the benefits of external and internal Web publishing without requiring users to purchase new hardware or learn new languages or protocols;
  • Integrated with NDS for efficient management of intranet information and resources; and
  • Top-performing Web server in its class, according to independent benchmark tests.
LAN WorkPlace™ and LAN WorkPlace Pro™ -- A complete TCP/IP connectivity suite of applications that provides access to Internet and host services.
  • Delivers all the software and management tools necessary to connect to heterogeneous computing resources, including Internet, Web and TCP/IP services;
  • Enables connectivity to IBM and DEC host systems to provide access to corporate information; and
  • Centralized installation and administration of all LAN WorkPlace utilities from a central location to simplify client administration and ease management tasks.

Intranet/Internet Partnerships

Novell's established relationships with leading companies such as Hewlett-Packard Company (HP) and The Santa Cruz Operation, Inc. (SCO) will provide the benefit of Novell services, such as the industry-leading global directory service NDS, to users with multiple server platforms. Additionally, relationships with Netscape, Open Market and Sun Microsystems allow Novell to enhance its intranet platform, IntranetWare, with market-leading browser, electronic commerce and Java technologies.

Through its partnership with Sun, Novell is evolving IntranetWare into a complete, high-performance Java platform based on cost-effective Intel hardware. This fall, Novell will ship a software development kit (SDK) to enable developers to create Java applications utilizing NDS and other Novell services. Novell through this SDK will provide the functionality of Java to third-party software developers who can then create Java applications for IntranetWare. In parallel, Novell plans to make available in early 1997 a complete Java execution environment for IntranetWare.

Novell's partnership announced in March with Open Market to license the OM-SecureLink technology will enable IntranetWare users to incorporate electronic storefronts and invoicing systems into their intranets and the Internet. With the ability to purchase goods and services electronically, businesses can make internal purchasing and accounting more efficient while extending their markets beyond traditional boundaries. Novell expects to ship a commerce server incorporating the Open Market technology in early 1997.

Novell is also partnering with leading telecommunications providers to deliver business-class intranet/Internet services based on its Novell Connect Services (NCS) products and technologies. AT&T has made NCS integral to its Worldnet Intranet Connect service and NTT, Japan's leading telephone company, recently launched an NCS-based intranet service in Japan. In addition, over 20 other carriers are now in discussions with Novell about providing the services in their territories. NCS enables businesses to work with the telecommunications provider to outsource much of the cost and complexity of deploying secure, managed intranets and to extend these intranets over wide areas to include customers, partners and suppliers.

Developer Advantages

Novell's support for widely accepted Internet standards including HTML, HTTP, Java, LDAP and TCP/IP will allow a wider range of opportunities for developers to create innovative applications that leverage users' current networking investments. Novell's support for popular Basic scripting languages such as Visual Basic and NetBasic eases developer access to NDS by allowing developers to use their Basic scripting capabilities to create NDS-enabled applications; furthermore, it allows developers to track and manage components through NDS to eliminate the need to re-create commonly used objects.

With NetBasic, a Visual Basic-compatible scripting interpreter included in IntranetWare, developers and administrators familiar with Visual Basic will be able to easily build intranet applications and deploy intranet solutions based on IntranetWare. For the first time, industry-standard Basic scripting tools can be used to create applications executed by a NetBasic interpreter. IntranetWare also ships with NetBasic for the Internet, enabling a user with any Web browser to access and execute Basic scripts running on NetWare across the Internet. This allows automatic HTML page creation through Basic scripts, remote access to IntranetWare services and system administration tasks, and access to popular databases.

Founded in 1983, Novell (NASDAQ: NOVL) is the world's leading provider of network software. The company offers a wide range of network solutions for distributed network, Internet, intranet and small-business markets. Novell education and technical support programs are the most comprehensive in the network computing industry. Information about Novell's complete range of products and services can be accessed on the World Wide Web at http://www.novell.com.

Novell and NetWare are registered trademarks, and GroupWise, InnerWeb Publisher, IntranetWare, ManageWise, NDS, NetWare Web Server, Novell Directory Services and Novell InnerWeb Publisher are trademarks of Novell, Inc. All other registered trademarks and trademarks are the property of their respective holders.

Press Contacts:
Pamela Laurence
Novell, Inc.
Phone: (408) 577-7718
Internet: plaurence@novell.com

Danielle Epstein
Cunningham Communication, Inc.
Phone: (408) 982-0400
Internet: danielle@ccipr.com