IntranetWare Integrates NetWare Application Launcher

Utility Leverages Novell Directory Services to Centralize Application Management and Access and Lower Network Costs

OREM, Utah -- September 3, 1996 -- Novell, Inc. announced today the integration of NetWare Application Launcher™ into IntranetWare™, a new product that continues the evolution of NetWare®, the world's leading network operating system (NOS), into a full-service intranet and Internet access platform.

NetWare Application Launcher leverages Novell Directory Services™ (NDS™) to lower the cost of network ownership by simplifying application management and providing users with location-independent access to applications. Through NetWare Application Launcher and NDS, IntranetWare will enable network administrators to deploy and update applications and control access to files and directories centrally, while providing users with consistent, transparent access to their personal set of applications from any location on the network.

"Customer response to NetWare Application Launcher has been overwhelmingly positive, as both users and administrators realize significant savings of time, effort and expense through centralized management of applications across the network," said William Donahoo, senior director of product marketing for Novell. "The integration of NetWare Application Launcher with IntranetWare is one of the many enhancements that make IntranetWare a powerful solutions platform that will adapt and grow with a company's business, providing an enduring competitive edge."

Simplified Application Deployment, Management and Security

NetWare Application Launcher works with NDS, Novell's industry-standard global directory service that is a key component of IntranetWare and NetWare 4.11, to reduce the time and costs involved in administering users' Windows desktops by enabling network administrators to manage, deploy and update applications without leaving their workstations. Using the NetWare Administrator (NWAdmin) utility, network administrators can create an NDS object for each application to identify the physical location of the application as well as the users or groups of users authorized to run it. These objects generate a unique Windows program group for each user on the network, eliminating the need to manually configure each desktop for each application. User access to applications, files and directories is handled through NDS' highly-granular access control features, ensuring a high level of network security.

Novell's NetWare Application Launcher further lowers the cost of network ownership by eliminating the expense and tedium of creating and managing drive mappings for each application in each desktop's network log-in script. The NDS application objects not only store pointers to the location of applications, but can also contain subroutines to map additional drives and capture printers automatically as a user launches an application. NetWare Application Launcher reduces the number of server connection and software application licenses that companies must purchase because these drive mappings and printer captures are released when the user exits the application, eliminating the problem of unused but connected licenses that commonly occurs when drive mappings and captures take place through log-in scripts. NetWare Application Launcher reduces support costs as well; all applications are controlled centrally, protecting users from accidentally deleting or changing application settings.

To ensure changes made by the network administrator makes are reflected rapidly on users' desktops, NetWare Application Launcher delivers applications dynamically, ensuring users always have the applications they need. Network administrators can quickly, easily and conveniently install new applications and migrate users to the latest versions without leaving their own workstations. To upgrade an application, for example, the administrator simply modifies the properties in the NDS application object to point to the new version of the application, and NetWare Application Launcher will update that application on the appropriate users' desktops.

Consistent, Location-Independent User Access to Applications

NetWare Application Launcher can be configured to execute automatically at log-in time to deliver to users' desktops a set of icons representing the individualized set of applications available across the network to which the administrator has given them access. Because NDS delivers applications to desktops based on each user's unique rights and network log-in ID, users will always see their own, personalized set of applications regardless of the location from which they log in. The user launches an application by simply double-clicking on its icon.

"NetWare Application Launcher reduces the amount of time it takes us to install and maintain applications by as much as sixty percent," said Carl V. Carr, Jr., technical support manager for Holman's of Nevada, Inc., a CAD network systems integrator. "NetWare Application Launcher enables us to set up a group for each department in our company, granting those users access to the particular set of applications the department uses. Instead of having to visit each workstation in the department to make changes, we can install new applications, upgrade users to the latest version and make other changes from our own workstations."

"NetWare Application Launcher eases user access to applications on various servers across the network," said Michael Hicks, communications systems technician for the City of Tucson, Arizona. "Users don't need to take out connections on the Novell server to run applications on other servers, because NDS handles the mappings. We plan to put our office applications on the server in the future, and because NetWare Application Launcher releases the license connection when a user exits a program, we can purchase fewer concurrent licenses for the same number of users."

IntranetWare and NetWare 4.11 Availability and Features

Open beta software for IntranetWare and NetWare 4.11 is currently available for a nominal shipping and handling fee from Novell. Customers can register to receive these products on the World Wide Web at http://netware.novell.com/river/ or by calling 800-200-9140 or 512-434-1564. Final pricing is not yet available.

IntranetWare is built on Novell's core file, print and directory services and preserves all enhancements to the operating system, services and utilities originally planned for NetWare 4.11. These include:

• SMP scalability to support network applications and intranets;
• Integrated TCP/IP support to simplify network management and ease user access to both corporate intranet and Internet resources;
• NetBasic, a Basic scripting tool that allows access to network services and easy development of intranet applications;
• Easier network migration and installation functionality;
• New graphical administration tools to better manage companies' networks and NDS; and
• C2-level security to protect sensitive data during transmission across networks.

• Novell's NetWare Web Server™ 2.5, the fastest and most powerful Web server in its class, and the only Web server integrated with Novell Directory Services (NDS) for fast and easy management of intranet-based information and resources;
• IPX/SPX-to-IP gateway for intranet services within existing IPX networks;
• Integrated multiprotocol routing to build wide-area intranets;
• User and group-level security tied to Novell Directory Services; and
• Netscape Navigator, the world's most popular browser for accessing the World Wide Web and HTML-based applications and services, with Web-site authoring tools included.

Novell and NetWare are registered trademarks, and IntranetWare, NDS, NetWare Application Launcher, NetWare Web Server and Novell Directory Services are trademarks of Novell, Inc. All other registered trademarks and trademarks are the property of their respective holders.

Press Contact:
Chimene White
Cunningham Communication
(408) 764-0751
Internet: chimene@ccipr.com