Customer FAQ on Senforce acquisition

What did Novell announce today?

Novell announced the acquisition of Senforce Technologies, Inc., a move that will strengthen Novell's leadership position in offering integrated enterprise configuration and security management solutions. The acquisition will greatly benefit customers, giving them Novell identity- and systems-management expertise combined with Senforce's ability to secure endpoint systems against the broad range of threats they face in today's mobile world.

Why is Novell acquiring Senforce?

Security, regulatory compliance and corporate governance are issues of paramount concern to our customers, and recent trends in technology and business processes mean that securing the endpoint is becoming particularly important. The acquisition of Senforce will enable Novell to deliver a mature endpoint security solution far faster then we could build it ourselves. This move underscores our commitment to customers that their Novell security, identity and compliance-management solutions will be developed and supported by Novell.

As a Senforce customer, will my contract remain the same?

Yes. Novell is honoring existing Senforce contracts and will be migrated to a Novell contract over time. Your account representative will be contacting you directly to give you more specific details on the acquisition and what it means to you. In addition, you will receive ongoing communications from the Novell product and marketing teams about the additional benefits you will receive as a Novell customer.

As a Senforce customer, what are some of the specific benefits I will enjoy?

Leverage the resources of a larger, public company
Become part of a broader customer base and user community; share best practices for security and compliance
Access a broader range of products and services
Leverage the full range of Novell solutions
See more flexibility in pricing and support options
Realize opportunities for growth—Novell solutions will grow with your needs
Leverage the worldwide support, consulting and technical training capabilities offered by Novell
Take advantage of an expanded ecosystem (channel, partners and IHVs)

Why did Novell acquire Senforce over other vendors?

Senforce is recognized as a best-of-breed provider in the endpoint security enforcement market, and their strengths complement Novell competencies in identity and systems management: scalable, easy-to-use, real-time, and policyenabled. In addition, the synergies between our complementary open standards and services oriented architecture-based solution sets facilitate integration and time-to-value for customers and shareholders.

What is the market opportunity this acquisition addresses?

Ongoing convergence in the security and configuration management markets
The escalating need for endpoint security enforcement in the face of growing device- and data-mobility

How does this relate to the Novell Security and Identity strategy?

Just as we made compliance management more scalable through automation and self service, we are now doing the same thing with the active enforcement of enterprise security policies.

In the long term, the continued integration and automation of enterprise configuration and security management through policy-driven IT services will further our vision of delivering a secure, productive, cost-effective IT environment.

We've already received analyst validation of both our strategic vision and this acquisition.

How is Senforce being integrated into Novell?

Senforce employees have already been integrated into Novell.

Branding: Novell already offers the Senforce Endpoint Security Suite (ESS) under the ZENworks brand as ZENworks Endpoint Security Management, which will be the Novell offering going forward. Senforce ESS customers will be able to migrate to future versions of this product line.
Sales: Most account representatives will remain in place, but be backed by the resources of Novell.
Services: There are no changes planned for the Senforce and Novell services and support organizations.
Support: Senforce customers can access support in the same way they do today,. All Senforce support contracts will remain in place and be transitioned to Novell standard contracts upon renewal. Senforce customers will continue to receive update assurance and experience no disruption or change in their current service.
Offices: Novell has offices in 37 countries worldwide with engineering resources in Europe and Bangalore, India. Novell corporate headquarters is in Waltham, MA. Senforce personnel will be relocated into Novell offices in Utah and elsewhere.

How does the acquisition benefit customers?

Today, many customers lack the tools they need to enforce their security policies.. The combination of Novell and Senforce delivers the real-time preemptive security enforcement and reporting necessary to meet regulatory mandates in a cost-effective and scalable manner.

How does the acquisition benefit partners?

This acquisition provides a broader market presence and presents expanded opportunities for partners in all channel categories. This includes ISVs, IHVs, integrators and CSIs, who can expand their Novell offerings in Security and Identity with added support for security and compliance enforcement.

Are there plans to integrate the product lines?

Yes. The two product development teams have already identified a number of opportunities for tighter integration and synergy. Further information on an integrated roadmap will be made available in coming months. Where can I find more information regarding the acquisition? Go to www.novell.com or www.senforce.com for more information.

About Novell

Novell is a world leader in enterprise infrastructure software. We are the only company that delivers an open source platform with integrated systems management, security, identity, and access management solutions. We also offer professional services to support our customers from the desktop to the data center. With these technologies and services, customers can easily manage both our platform and the other heterogeneous components of their IT infrastructures. Customers can deploy Novell technologies directly—or through our global network of partners—and be free to focus on the innovation and high-quality service that drive their businesses forward. Novell—This Is Your Open Enterprise™.