Novell and Metastorm delivers first services for e-Citizens at Bracknell Forest Borough Council

Bracknell, UK - 13 September 2000 :

Novell®, the leading Net services software provider, today announced its e-government development partnership agreement with Bracknell Forest Borough Council to deliver council services online to over 110,000 citizens in the region. Novell and e-process automation software developer, Metastorm*, are collaborating on the pilot project to build three ambitious applications to enable citizens to securely access Bracknell Forest's e-government system via the Internet, track the progress of planning applications and manage their personal council tax accounts. The pilot project will go live in October 2000 and is due to be completed in early 2001, placing Bracknell Forest Borough Council at the forefront of this country's Modernising Government initiative.

Nick Harding, IT Manager at Bracknell Forest Borough Council, said, "Our policy for working in partnership with the top IT companies such as Novell and Metastorm has enabled us to accelerate the delivery of online services and to pioneer interactive services that bring real value to our citizens. We are not simply following the dot com migration. We're interested in services involving users in the greatest level of interaction. That is why we selected services that are in highest demand for this pilot project."

"Bracknell Forest Borough Council is one of the most progressive local councils in terms of IT initiatives," Harding continued. "Surveys that the Council have conducted estimate that over half the Borough's citizens have Internet access. We will be developing wider access to ensure social inclusion through other technologies such as digital TV."

"Having been based in Bracknell for over 12 years, Novell is pleased to be able to announce its first major e-government consultancy project in the UK with Bracknell Forest Borough Council," said Steve Brown, Novell UK's Managing Director. "Modernising Government strategies throughout the UK reflect Novell's one Net vision of integrating diverse networks, including the Internet, together to work as a single, global Net. This pilot will be our proof-of-concept for e-Government and will provide the secure foundation for online delivery of more interactive services in the future. UK's e-citizens of the future should be able to enjoy easy, secure access to all levels of government using cost-effective technology based on open standards," continued Steve Brown.

A major proportion (approximately 75%) of the technology required to deliver the pilot project is being built on current, proven products from Novell and Metastorm. The design of the system architecture, custom software development and system integration work will be handled by the Novell Consulting and Metastorm's consultancy team.

At the core of the Bracknell Forest e-government system will be Novell Directory Services® (NDS® eDirectory™) technology, a secure and robust mechanism for assigning each citizen his or her digital identity. NDS eDirectory will form the foundation for safe and secure access to all online council services, which can range from the reservation of a library book to online voting in council elections.

The Council Tax accounts system will be the most security-critical part of the pilot project. Citizens will be able to not only view their account status but also make payments and change personal details such as bank details and circumstances via the Web site. The planning application tracking system will incorporate Metastorm eWork, the sophisticated e-process automation software, which removes the manual processes for progressing planning applications and gives people the most up to date information on the status of their applications at any time of day. Citizens who are not currently connected to the Internet will have access to these online services through existing public resources in the libraries and the Town Hall.

In addition to the pilot project with Bracknell Forest Borough Council, Novell Consulting is working with a range of partners to provide services to assist local and central government in planning, design, implementation and support of Modernising Government initiatives. Solutions offerings from Novell include online services for citizens, the creation of electronic communities and the provision of business-to-business services. In the UK, Novell Consulting is working in close collaboration with CAP Gemini Ernst & Young to develop government business-to-business procurement services.

About Novell

Novell, Inc. (NASDAQ:NOVL), is a leading provider of Net services software that delivers services to secure and power all types of networks --the Internet, intranets, and extranets; wired to wireless; corporate and public-- across leading operating systems. Novell's Net services software provides the foundation for one Net-a single global network that supports new applications and forms of business. Net Services software gives IT organizations a way to adapt and accelerate their transformation to e-business, simplify the management and control of all networks, create a secure foundation for doing business on the Net, and help deliver a consistent and high-quality experience to end users in all locations. Worldwide channel, consulting, education and technical support programs, along with strategic alliances, combine Novell Net services software with third-party products and services to form complete Net solutions.