Novell Software Surge

EDirectory 9, which is expected to begin shipping in April, will be announced at Brainshare 2002 March 17--22 in Salt Lake City, said solution providers briefed by Novell. The product is the first Web- and wireless-enabled directory that will allow users to access network resources from both a browser and a variety of handheld devices.

The upgrade also will offer support for emerging Web services standards, such as Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) and Universal Description, Discovery and Integration (UDDI).

In addition, Novell will launch two new products: Novell Workspace, a Web-based collaboration platform; and ZenWorks Synergy, a solution that combines ZenWorks 3.2 desktop management software, OnDemand 1.5 application- and content-provisioning software and the recently introduced Novell Portal Services 1.5.

Solution providers say Workspace and ZenWorks Synergy are great additions to the company's lineup.

"I see a demand for a shared workspace to facilitate collaboration among people from multiple organizations and locations, especially for short-term projects with an ad-hoc team," said one Novell solution provider familiar with the new offerings. "Unlike similar offerings from other vendors, Novell solutions offer easier administration and do not require or assume dependency on a specified platform.

"As far as Zen Synergy, Novell is taking a solution-oriented approach by combining products and adding tools and techniques to address a particular need right out of the box," the solution provider said.

Another Novell partner familiar with the offerings believes ZenWorks Synergy will be of great use to the channel. "We're a beta-tester for Synergy, and it's great," said the partner, who requested anonymity. "Synergy is going to make a lot of shops that have gone away from Novell [products consider bringing them back in."

The product launches come amid management turmoil roughly a year after Novell's acquisition of Cambridge Technology Partners. Last week, Novell said COO and prominent technology executive Stewart Nelson, who formerly served as senior vice president of research and development and oversaw the development of NetWare 5, ZenWorks and eDirectory, would leave the company.

A Novell spokesman said the agreement to part ways was mutual; however, sources said Nelson's departure was due to conflict with Novell CEO Jack Messman, who has been at the helm for one year.

Another solution provider questions how well Nelson's departure from Novell bodes for channel partners.

"I felt that the departure was inevitable for Stewart," said another Novell partner who also requested anonymity. "The trouble I see is that Novell is starting to look too much like [Cambridge Technology rather than Novell. Whether this is good or bad for Novell I don't know. It just doesn't make sense to be a such a direct competitor to your best partners."

Novell also announced the appointment of former Novell executive and Tilion Software founder Christopher Stone as vice chairman, Office of the CEO. Stone, who will take over responsibilities for Novell's engineering, marketing, alliances and consulting functions, will be based in Cambridge, Mass., the home of Cambridge Technology.

Mark Stellini, CEO of InfoSystems, a solution provider in Wilmington, Del., said even with the new product introductions, he does not consider Novell one of his current strategic partners. "There is only so much technology that you can focus on as an integrator," he said. "They are not part of our mind share."