NOVELL REDUCES COST OF MANAGING MIXED-PLATFORM ENVIRONMENTS; NETWARE 5 NFS SERVICES DECREASES ADMINISTRATION RESOURCES REQUIRED FOR HETEROGENEOUS NETWARE 5 AND UNIX-BASED NETWORKS

Novell Inc. has announced the availability of NetWare 5 NFS (Network File System) Services, a software solution that simplifies administration of heterogeneous environments. NetWare 5 NFS Services provides seamless connectivity between NetWare 5 server platform and Unix-based workstations and servers, reducing the costs associated with maintaining and managing heterogeneous enterprise networks. This allows large companies to better leverage existing network resources and provide users with access to information across disparate platforms. Cross-platform resource sharing also increases productivity and reduces overall costs by eliminating the need to train users to work on disparate systems.

With NetWare 5 NFS Services, administrators can further enhance information sharing and access by leveraging Novell Directory Services (NDS), Novell's industry-leading directory technology. NDS allows network managers to control user access data made available through NetWare 5 NFS Services from a single point of administration, even when users are accessing resources that reside on non-NetWare platforms.

"Novell's enterprise customers look to us for solutions that effectively and efficiently manage their complex and evolving networks," said Michael Bryant, director of Novell's Advanced Services marketing group. "As Novell customers deploy NetWare 5 with their existing Unix-based systems, they can rely on NetWare 5 NFS Services to deliver seamless connectivity to their heterogeneous environments."

"NetWare 5 NFS Services is a must-have for mixed NetWare 5 and UNIX or Linux networks," said Dan Leary, director of technology at Interlocutor LLC, a provider of Web to database integration software and services. "With NDS integration, NetWare 5 NFS Services consolidates network security and file system administration, and is ideal for companies that want to share file and print services between UNIX and NetWare users, or between UNIX and NetWare servers in a multi-tier Web or Java application. My personal favorite is the feature that allows you to run the NetWare 5 console from a remote X11 workstation. That's the kind of interoperability that makes system administrators and Web developers very happy."

NetWare 5 NFS Services Enhancements

These are several new benefits and features of NetWare 5 NFS Services:

• Enhanced Security -- The ability to leverage NDS permits network managers to control user accounts in mixed environments from a single point of administration. Security is greatly enhanced because the administrator is able to manage user access to NetWare and NFS files, using NetWare's security features, even when the files reside on a non-NetWare system.
• Easily Access Files via the Internet -- For companies conducting business over the Internet, support for version 2.0 of the WebNFS protocol means that users with WebNFS-enabled browsers can easily access files on the NetWare 5 server over the Internet or corporate intranet. Organizations that are standardizing on a browser can now access files through one single interface.
• Increased Availability of Data to End-Users -- NetWare 5 NFS Services takes advantage of new file system advances in NetWare 5 by supporting NSS (Novell Storage Services) volumes. This results in lower memory requirements for mounting NSS volumes and increases data availability to end-users due to faster volume mount times.

Pricing and Availability

NetWare 5 NFS Services is available immediately in the United States and Europe from authorized Novell resellers. Pricing for this software is $2,995 U.S. MSRP per server license. For customers who already own a previous version of NetWare NFS and wish to upgrade, the price is $1,440 U.S. MSRP per server license. Additional information on NetWare 5 NFS can be found on Novell's Web site at http://www.novell.com/products/nfs.

About Novell

Novell, Inc. is the world's leading provider of directory-enabled networking software. Novell solutions give businesses total control of their private networks and the Internet, simplifying the management of user access and identity. Novell's worldwide channel, consulting, developer, education and technical support programs are the most extensive in the network computing industry.

For information on Novell's complete range of products and services, contact Novell's Customer Response Center at (888) 321-4CRC (4272), or visit Novell's Web site at http://www.novell.com. Press may access Novell announcements and company information on the World Wide Web at http://www.novell.com/pressroom.