Novell Launches GroupWise 5

Advanced Intranet-Ready E-Mail System Is the First to Offer Full Document Management and Internet Access Through a Universal Mail Box

NEW YORK -- Sept. 12, 1996 -- Novell, Inc. today officially launched GroupWise 5, its extended client/server E-mail system, and Novell's premier intranet application, which gives users control by expanding E-mail capabilities with powerful communication tools. GroupWise 5 is the first and only client/server, cross-platform E-mail product to offer full document management capabilities as part of a new Universal Mail Box that gives users single-point access to personal calendaring, group scheduling, tasks, voice mail faxes and other message types both from the desktop and via the Internet using GroupWise WebAccess. GroupWise WebAccess allows users to access the Universal Mail Box from any HTML-compliant Internet browser.

As part of Novell's commitment to open standards and leveraging the power of the corporate network, with this version of GroupWise Novell is offering a Software Developers Kit and an open object API to support third-party development of complementary applications. This development support gives GroupWise the power and depth to address a very broad range of business needs.

GroupWise 5 will natively support open Internet standards such as TCP/IP and SMTP/MIME, with support for IMAP, POP and LDAP due shortly. This combination of Internet support, open development features and rich functionality makes GroupWise the first of a new breed of extended E-mail systems to offer intranet-ready collaboration and full functionality out of the box, with the option of full customization and development.

"GroupWise 5 is the culmination of years of experience, development and cooperation with our customers and partners," said Joe Marengi, president, Novell, Inc. "As an intranet application that supports access to and management of people and information at any time from anywhere, GroupWise 5 is the embodiment of the approach to meeting business and market needs that is driving the new Novell."

"Our research indicates that groupware users put the greatest emphasis and value on the core features and capabilities Novell has chosen to emphasize in GroupWise 5," said Linda Myers-Tierney, research director for the Collaborative Computing and Intranet program at International Data Corp. "The E-mail foundation, strong document management features, ability to work with other office productivity tools and integration with NDS (Novell Directory Services) administration features of GroupWise 5 make it uniquely qualified to meet the requirements of this increasingly demanding market."

GroupWise 5 offers users capabilities far beyond traditional E-mail that allow them to meet the demands of everyday business needs:

• Internet/intranet access: GroupWise 5 is the premier collaborative application for the corporation offering a standards-based, intranet-ready application that works out of the box. It also offers Internet-based access to the Universal Mail Box via GroupWise WebAccess, which allows users to access the GroupWise 5 Universal Mail Box and the full range of GroupWise features remotely via any HTML-compliant Web browser.
• A Single, Customizable Work Environment -- The Universal Mail Box: The GroupWise Universal Mail Box lets users easily manage their work from within a single, familiar, customizable environment, where they can collaborate with others and manage and act on information from many different souces -- E-mails, faxes, phone messages, appointments, tasks and shared documents and images.
• Full Document Management: GroupWise 5 allows users to collaborate on documents via shared folders, providing version control, security and check-in/check-out privileges. In addition to sharing documents, users may perform a single, server-based search for related documents, including E-mails, faxes, schedules and to-do lists, regardless of their location on the server.
• A Single Point of Administration: GroupWise 5 leverages the power of NDS and NetWare Administrator (NWAdmin) to give network administrators a single point of administration from which they can manage both GroupWise 5 and the network.
• Openness and Scalability: GroupWise 5 offers multiple-platform support for Windows NT, 95 and 3.1, as well as Macintosh and UNIX; open, industry standard APIs; a true protocol-based client/server architecture; standards-based communications; robust connectivity options to other messaging systems and media; and backwards compatibility with current Novell products.
• Lower Cost of Ownership: To make administration of the product easy, GroupWise 5 components share common installation procedures and common management tools. The Universal Mail Box is the user interface for every GroupWise capability, greatly reducing the learning curve associated with most groupware products.
• Proven track record: GroupWise is the industry's most reliable solution, a fifth-generation product from the networking experts -- Novell. Although GroupWise is open and runs on multiple platforms, this Novell product fully leverages Novell's IntranetWare platform, as well as Windows 95, NT, 3.1, Macintosh and UNIX.

"In GroupWise 5, Novell has created the first E-mail product to offer that combination of simplicity and power that can truly address the needs of every business," said Stewart Nelson, vice president and general manager, Novell. "From small organizations that need to streamline their communications quickly and easily, to global enterprises whose E-mail systems are the backbone of a broad range of complex collaborative processes, GroupWise 5 offers the right combination of ease of use and development tools to let each customer find the right business communication solution.

In addition to GroupWise 5 development agreements with leading independent software vendors such as Active Voice Corp., Applied Voice Technology, CallWare Technologies, Cheyenne Software, Information Builders, PUMA Technology, Quarterdeck, Synaxis Corp., Time Line Solutions Corp., and WhetStone Technologies; Novell has forged OEM and integration partnerships with such industry leaders as BDM, Compaq, Fujitsu and IBM. These agreements are evidence of the broad industry support for GroupWise 5 from companies who see the current and potential GroupWise customer base as a strong market opportunity. In addition, intranet-ready features provide a major advantage for partners who want to capitalize on the Internet/intranet market opportunity today.

"Groupwise 5 is a powerful, intranet-ready messaging solution," said Ronnie Ward, vice president Enterprise Solutions Division, Compaq Computer Corporation. "Working with Novell, Compaq has optimized the installation, management and performance of its servers for Groupwise 5. Customers can now enjoy the combined benefits of cost-effective, high performance messaging platforms that are scalable to fit the requirements of their business. Compaq looks forward to continuing its long-standing partnership with Novell to deliver highly optimized GroupWise solutions based on Internet standards."

Pricing, availability and platforms

GroupWise 5 pricing will be identical to GroupWise 4.1 pricing. The GroupWise 5 Mail Box license, which starts at $718 for a 5-user license and goes to $32,625 for a 250-user license, comes with everything necessary for a typical GroupWise solution. This includes the GroupWise desktop and remote clients, NWAdmin administration module, remote async and X.25 gateways, Message Transfer Agent and MHS gateway, as well as migration tools to allow users to move from competitive E-mail systems.

GroupWise 5 clients in English, Japanese and German will be released to manufacturing in two weeks. Additional language versions, including French, Spanish, Dutch, Italian, Chinese, Brazilian, Russian, Korean, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish and Finnish will be available in December.

GroupWise client versions for Windows 95, Windows NT and Windows 3.1 will be available from channel partners the third week of October, as will WebAccess for GroupWise 5. Novell will ship servers for NetWare 4, NetWare 3 simultaneously. The GroupWise 5 Windows 95 and NT clients will support the full GroupWise 5 functionality, from document management to shared folders. Enhancements to the Windows 3.1 client include client/server, cross-post office proxies and resizeable views. Macintosh and UNIX Motif clients and UNIX servers will be available within the first calendar quarter of 1997. Additional information about GroupWise can be accessed on the World Wide Web at http://www.novell.com/groupwise.

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

Press Contacts:
Elizabeth Johnson
Cunningham Communication, Inc.
(408) 764-0731
Internet: elizabeth@ccipr.com

Kristin Schultz
Novell, Inc.
(801) 228-5124
Internet: kschultz@novell.com