On Eve of BrainShare, Novell Courts Partners

Like a polite suitor, the vendor is throwing in the sweets along with an apology. That's right, the Provo, Utah-based software and services has begun mailing out boxes of chocolates to the principals of 500 or so leading solutions providers, asking them to "come back to Novell.'

"We know we lost your trust," an accompanying note from CEO Jack Messman says, "yet we ask you to rethink your opinion of us."

The company that once boasted one of the strongest channel programs in the industry now believes restoring ties to some former allies will go a long way to restoring the company's momentum in the market. Although Novell recently posted an $8.4 million profit for its first fiscal quarter ended Jan. 31, 2002, Novell says the revenue outlook for the company remains flat, which will likely translate into a break-even quarter for the company.

Hoping to rejuvenate the momentum the company had in the mid-1990s, company channel mangers have quietly amassed a list of partners who have since broken ties with the company altogether, or who have scaled back involvement to the point where their contributions don't show up on an income statement.

This being BrainShare season--the company's 18th annual business conference for customers and partners alike runs March 17 to 22--Messman has decided to seize the opportunity and ask partners to come back to BrainShare and see first-hand how Novell has changed its business. (Within the past few weeks alone, the vendor has revamped its executive suite, naming Carl Ledbetter to the post of senior vice president of engineering, research and development, and Chris Stone to the position of vice chairman, while announcing the departure of COO Stewart Nelson.)

"We're not the same company you once knew," Messman said in his open letter to partners, in which he notes the channel has become one of his top priorities.

The missive goes on to suggest that greater partner success may just be around the corner thanks to the company's Clear Channel initiative launched last fall. In essence, the initiative provides a blueprint for working with Novell and its two services arms, one of which is Cambridge Technology Partners.

"Work with us, and we promise to help you succeed," Novell says.

One former Novell Platinum partner was taken aback by the gesture.

"We enjoyed the chocolates and the invitation to attend BrainShare, but we have got to sit down and study the company's One Net vision to see if there's real business to be done here or if this is just too little, too late," he says.

Novell is hoping it's the former.

At next week's event, which is expected to attract nearly 5,000 partners, customers and analysts, the company plans to showcase the latest developments in its eDirectory, NetWare and ZENworks products. At the event, Messman, who is recovering from a stomach ailment, Stone, and Ledbetter are expected to make presentations, as will Drew Major, CTO of Novell's Volera subsidiary. Novell will showcase key Novell customers, including Rainbow Media and the EPA, as well as key sponsors such as Xiotech, Compaq and Netvision.