Novell Proposes Internet Printing Standard with Support from Print Industry Leaders

Press Release

Adobe, Canon, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Intel, Lexmark, Novell, QMS, Ricoh, Sharp, Tektronix, Toshiba and Xerox Join to Support Standard Print Protocol for the Internet

OREM, Utah -- October 21, 1996 -- Novell, Inc. today announced support from twelve print industry leaders for its initiative to drive the creation of a new technology standard to enable printing across the Internet. If adopted, this proposed standard will simplify the ISO 10175 protocol used by major print vendors today for ease of printing over the Internet and corporate intranets. This will also present print vendors with the compatibility they need to support the broad range of new and existing systems their customers use today. Toward this goal, Novell will submit a protocol specification to the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) in the form of an Internet Draft called Lightweight Document Printing Application (LDPA) in November. Major print vendors in support of working with Novell toward a complete IETF standard include Adobe, Canon, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Intel, Lexmark, QMS, Ricoh, Sharp, Tektronix, Toshiba and Xerox. The Multi-Function Peripheral Association (MFPA) has also committed to endorsing the proposed Internet Draft and will work to get input from its members to extend and modify this specification to support faxing, scanning, copying and other multifunction device capabilities.

As more organizations implement intranets and enable Internet access, they face challenges printing documents across these expanded networks. If this proposed standard is adopted and implemented, printer manufacturers and print service providers will be able to offer businesses ready-to-use solutions for sending print job requests and controlling print jobs to printers across the Internet and corporate intranets. This standard will also enable printer vendors to provide better printing compatibility, so users can locate and print to resources across Internet and intranet connections as easily as across LANs. Several print services, including Hewlett-Packard's Distributed Print Service™, IBM's Print Systems Manager™, Printxchange™ from Digital, Sun and Xerox, and Novell Distributed Print Services™ are all based on the ISO 10175 standard, commonly referred to as the DPA standard. With support for the proposed Internet Draft protocol, printer vendors will be able to increase printer compatibility, allowing users to easily send and manage print jobs.

"There is a great need for creating a standard that will enable users to send and control print jobs to remote printers attached to the Internet," said Marc Epstein, vice president and general manager of Novell's Network Services Division. "NetWare print services are the world's leading network printer sharing solution today, making it the de facto standard. Because of this, Novell is in the best position to help drive the adoption and evolution of Lightweight DPA through the IETF. This Internet Draft proposal furthers Novell's commitment to developing and supporting standards for the Internet."

"Novell is taking an existing, accepted ISO printing standard, modifying it to be simple enough to use as an Internet standard, and making it run over Internet protocols," said Bob Fennell, director and principal printer analyst of Dataquest. "Novell and its vendors are in a leadership position in network printing by taking a major step in defining protocols for the Internet."

Leading Printer Vendors United in Support of Creating Internet Standard

Twelve printing industry leaders representing manufacturers and print services will participate in the standards process.

Adobe

"Adobe enthusiastically supports Novell's goal to create a standard for submission and control of print jobs via the Internet," said George Cacioppo, vice president of Production Imaging Engineering at Adobe Systems Incorporated. "Adobe will work to integrate LDPA in our Internet printing and job management solutions. We believe that the device and service independent job specifications along with reliable, secure job submission provided by LDPA will resolve key issues in printing to intranets and remote locations."

Hewlett-Packard

"Hewlett-Packard has an established working relationship with Novell to define and develop robust networking solutions," said Marc Gunning, product marketing manager, Intranet Solutions Operation, Hewlett-Packard. "Internet and intranet printing is a natural evolution of our network printing initiatives and we look forward to continued efforts with Novell on these future printing technologies."

"Based on our experience developing two standards-based print management systems (Printing Systems Manager for enterprises and our Internet-based solution for workgroups) we understand the industry's need for Novell's proposed standard," said Kerry Bensman, director of Software Solutions, IBM Printing Systems Company. "We will continue to support industry standards in our forthcoming solutions, thereby enabling our customers to leverage their investment in printers and networks."

Lexmark

"Lexmark has strongly supported the development of printer management standards through the IEEE, the Printer Working Group and the IETF," said Glenn Hudson, vice president and general manager, Attachment Products, Lexmark International, Inc. "We strongly support Novell's efforts in this area and are committed to working within the industry to refine this proposal into a broadly accepted standard."

MFPA

"The MFPA strongly agrees that a standard method to control Internet-based printing is a key enabling technology for document-oriented peripherals. This blends well with MFPA work and the general direction of the industry, as presented at our annual Integrated Office Conference (IOC)," said Raymond Lutz, executive council chair of the Multifunction Peripheral Association (MFPA). "The job submission paradigm announced by Novell will provide a rich control capability that can be used for the Internet, corporate intranets and advanced facsimile-based jobs. The MFPA is eager to support further development in this area and have established a Web-based discussion forum for further collaboration."

Xerox

"Xerox believes that an open standard for job submission and control is a benefit to customers using the Internet and is in keeping with the principles that make the Internet a success," said John Kavazanjian, vice president and general manager of Xerox Network Software. "LDPA and ISO's DPA standard leverages an existing and robust standard that will make it easier for our Prinxchange customers to utilize their continued investments and to plan for the future."

The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) is a large international community of network designers, operators, vendors and researchers concerned with the evolution of the Internet architecture and the smooth operation of the Internet. It is open to any interested individual or company. The actual technical work of the IETF is done in its working groups, which are organized by topic into several areas (e.g., routing, network management, security, etc.). Further information about the IETF can be accessed on the World Wide Web at http://www.ietf.cnri.reston.va.us/home.html.

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 of Novell, Inc. Novell Distributed Print Services is a trademark of Novell, Inc. All other company or product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

Press Contacts:
Richard Ling
Novell, Inc.
(408) 577-6331
Internet: rling@novell.com

Shelly Greenhalgh
Cunningham Communication, Inc.
(408) 764-0723
Internet: shelly@ccipr.com