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Novell Announces IntranetWare Support for I2O Novell Advances Interoperability and Reduces Network I/O Bottlenecks With I2O Support LAS VEGAS, COMDEX -- November 18, 1996 -- Novell, Inc. today announced it will demonstrate IntranetWare™ solutions ready to take advantage of I2O, a new I/O architecture. IntranetWare's I2O support will greatly simplify the integration and management of today's heterogeneous networking systems, improve network I/O performance and further reduce the cost of network administration and ownership for Novell customers. At Comdex, Novell will demonstrate I2O Operating System Specific Module (OSM) software for IntranetWare which will make available to customers, developers and partners in the second quarter of 1997. To view the demonstration, contact Eunice Kim at (408) 764-0715. By allowing product developers to write only one version of a device driver for multiple operating systems (OS), the I2O architecture will free network administrators of time-consuming complexities related to configuring and administering drivers in networks that combine various operating systems. In addition, the new architecture will improve overall system performance by reducing bottlenecks that occur when the operating system must communicate with intensively managed devices. "Support for I2O underscores Novell's commitment to providing the most advanced networking technology available," said William Donahoo, senior director of product marketing at Novell. "With IntranetWare's support of I2O, Novell is positioned to provide customers with intranet and Internet solutions that are easier to manage and that perform better." Novell is working actively with other networking leaders in the I2O Special Interest Group (SIG) steering committee to ensure customers of compatibility and interoperability between I2O solutions. Other members include 3Com Corp., Compaq Computer Corp., Hewlett-Packard Co., Intel, Microsoft, NetFrame Systems, Inc. and Symbios Logic. As part of its efforts to assist vendors in developing I2O-compliant technology, Novell will also host a compliance workshop in Provo, Utah on December 12-13, 1996. "Consistent with our commitment to industry standards-based open development architectures, Compaq endorses the benefits of I20 and encourages its adoption within the industry. By taking an early leadership role in integrating I20-ready solutions, Novell significantly advances the adoption of I2O as an industry standard," said Carl Walker, director of advanced technology engineering, Compaq.
Benefits of IntranetWare's I2O Support I2O is a hardware specification with an accompanying set of programming interfaces that allows I2O-compliant device drivers to be platform-independent. Novell's demonstration will involve OSMs which enable the implementation of I2O-compliant local-area network and block storage drivers. These OSMs will be backward-compatible with NetWare 4.1, enabling customers to realize the benefits of I2O technology while leveraging their existing investments. IntranetWare's future I2O capabilities will eliminate the need for developers to write more than one version of a device driver for multiple hardware and software platforms. Because I2O enables an open architecture for development of I/O device drivers, vendors will be able to provide such things as ethernet, token ring, fiber channel, Small Computer Systems Interface (SCSI) and block storage drivers for IntranetWare, Windows NT and UNIX without having to develop driver software for each operating system. By incorporating the I2O architecture into their driver software, Novell partners can bring their products to market faster with reduced overall cost, expediting the adoption of new high-speed networking solutions such as ATM, Fast Ethernet and Fiber Channel. "Hewlett-Packard and Novell are dedicated to be the leaders in driving technologies that will add value and benefit for our customers," said Larry Shintaku, advanced development manager, Hewlett-Packard. "I2O is the next major enabling technology for industry-standard architectures that provide a design base and infrastructure to improve the performance and efficiency of I/O required for IntranetWare solutions."
Pricing and Availability The first OSMs will be available to developers in the second quarter of 1997. Developers will be able to download OSMs from NetWire as they become available. Information about the I2O SIG compliance workshop, hosted by Novell, can be accessed on the World Wide Web at http://www.i2osig.org. 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 IntranetWare, NetWare Loadable Module and NLM are trademarks of Novell, Inc. All other registered trademarks and trademarks are the property of their respective holders.
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Jason Werner |
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