Networking Leader Novell Offers NetWare Customers the Freedom to Choose Their Internet, Intranet Access Solution

PROVO, Utah — September 9, 1998 — Novell, Inc. today announced an agreement with Microsoft Corp. to license and distribute all current versions of Microsoft's premier Web browser, Internet Explorer, with Novell products. This agreement includes NetWare® 5, Novell's directory- enabled and pure IP platform that provides the speed, scalability, and reliability that companies require to manage and deploy network applications and resources. The agreement provides Novell customers with more flexibility and freedom of choice in how they interface with the Web.

Internet Explorer will be available for all NetWare customers as part of a regularly updated client CD; the Web browser will also ship with future versions of Novell products including NetWare 5. While it will not be included in the initial shipment of NetWare 5, Internet Explorer will be included in the box in the near future. Netscape's Communicator will continue to ship with Novell products, giving customers a choice between the industry's two leading browsers for navigating the Web. Both browsers will interface with the Netscape FastTrack Web server which is included with NetWare 5.

"Novell entered into this agreement with Microsoft with our customers' interests in mind. When 90 percent of the Web browser market is owned by either Microsoft or Netscape, it just makes sense to give customers both Web navigation options," said Christopher Stone, senior vice president, strategy and corporate development for Novell, Inc. "This agreement signifies Novell's commitment to provide customers with easier access to Web-based tools. More importantly however, it signifies our willingness to put competitive jockeying aside if it means delivering a better solution to our customers."

"We are pleased that Novell has chosen to offer its enterprise customers access to Microsoft's award- winning Internet Explorer Web browsing technology," said Yusuf Mehdi, director of Windows marketing for Microsoft Corp. "Novell NetWare customers can now more easily benefit from the rich Internet and intranet capabilities provided by Internet Explorer."

"Novell is expanding on its strategy of open standards and choice by embracing both the Microsoft and Netscape browsers," said Frank Gens, senior vice president of Internet research at International Data Corporation. "This cooperation between Microsoft and Novell is positive for the industry at large and for their mutual customers in particular."

Novell Manages Mixed Networks

The reality of networking now and in the future is that most corporate networks comprise some combination of Novell and Microsoft solutions. Today, Novell offers a number of products that address customers' heterogeneous network needs by enhancing the management of Microsoft workstations and configurations in mixed NetWare and NT environments. Current offerings include:

• NDS™ for NT — This Novell technology greatly simplifies ongoing network management by enabling administrators to make NetWare and NT part of the same enterprise network with single sign-on for users and single-point administration for network managers. Such integration results in significantly lower management costs because time spent administering a mixed environment is dramatically reduced.

• Z.E.N.works™ — Novell's new desktop management solution will work in conjunction with Novell Directory Services®, to greatly reduce the administrative time required to deploy all types of applications across a network, using push technology to deliver the application directly to Windows desktops.

• Cross-platform support — Novell supports client access for all versions of Microsoft operating systems, including Windows 3.x, Windows 95, Windows98 and Windows NT, giving customers a wide variety of choices to meet their business computing needs.

About NetWare 5

Set to ship by September 20, NetWare 5 is the upcoming version of Novell's market-leading networking software, which has come to be the world's most trusted server operating system and a powerful platform on which to conduct Internet-enabled business. Based on open Internet standards, NetWare 5 allows customers to extend their networks and effectively manage distributed applications across diverse platforms including the World Wide Web. Powered by NDS, Novell's industry-leading directory service, NetWare 5 enables businesses of all sizes to dramatically reduce the cost and complexity of deploying, managing and securing their networks, including applications, desktops, users, data, printers, protocols and much more.

Pricing and Availability

Microsoft's Internet Explorer will be distributed for free in all Novell products where use of an Internet browser would be beneficial. The browser will gradually be incorporated into Novell products as they are updated for channel distribution. The first package will appear for NetWare users with Novell's client CD. The delivery timeframe for additional Novell products is still under consideration. Customers with questions about Internet Explorer as it relates to the Novell/Microsoft licensing agreement should contact a local reseller.

About Novell

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, as well as the network computing industry's most comprehensive education and technical support programs. Information about Novell and its complete range of products and services can be accessed on the World Wide Web at http://www.novell.com.

Novell, NetWare and Novell Directory Services are registered trademarks, and NDS and Z.E.N.works are trademarks of Novell, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective holder.

Press Contacts:
John Pilmer
Novell, Inc.
Phone: (801) 222-5109
Internet: jpilmer@novell.com

Nan Stillinger
Cunningham Communication, Inc.
(650) 858-3772
Phone: Internet: nstillinger@ccipr.com