Novell Partners See Growth in Demand for Linux and Identity Services 

    -- SUSE LINUX providing critical infrastructure for healthcare, government
       and education environments

    -- Novell identity services help partners manage, secure mixed network
       environments

    WALTHAM, Mass., Dec. 16  -- Novell's latest identity
and Linux technologies are enabling its partners to achieve new customer wins
in security, infrastructure and management. Partner offerings based on Novell
(Nasdaq: NOVL) technologies are addressing a wide range of real customer
challenges, from helping a small medical practice lower management costs to
letting state governments print reports more cheaply leveraging open source.
Market interest in Linux and identity services is providing partners new
opportunities to build a profitable business with Novell, increasing partner
commitment to Novell and growing the company's partner network to give
customers more options for addressing their IT needs.


    Channel partners are a critical component of Novell's go-to-market
strategy, reaching far more customers than Novell can directly. Extending its
focus on Linux and identity services to embrace its channel partners, Novell
has developed specialization programs, offered extensive free partner training
on Linux, and shared with partners effective methodologies for deploying open
source and identity services. These resources are driving new business for
partners.
    Novell partner Mainline Information Systems (http://www.mainline.com), a
nationwide solutions provider and top IBM partner, has helped customers in
many industries, including the government and education sectors, leverage
Novell's SUSE LINUX platform. Mainline Information Systems helped the Idaho
State Controller's Office design and install a z/VM zSeries SUSE LINUX
infrastructure that is supporting open source solutions developed by internal
IT staff. One of those solutions has replaced printed mainframe reports with
web-based report publishing. Over $300,000 in savings will be recognized
through the reduction of costs associated with printing and distributing hard
copy reports. Additionally, Mainline Information Systems helped Boston
University with a similar challenge, deploying SUSE LINUX on their mainframe
to allow the university to quickly and cost effectively web-enable report
distribution, saving money while improving the end user experience.   "We're
seeing tremendous interest in Linux across a range of customers," said Roger
Luca, Senior Vice President of Sales for Mainline Information Systems.
"Novell's technology, with the support and training they provide, makes Novell
a very strong choice for Linux deployments in a wide range of scenarios."
    Lille Corp. (http://www.lillecorp.com), another Novell solutions provider
partner, also sees growth in the Linux arena, particularly in health care.
"We've been actively deploying Linux in health care environments for several
years now," said Jordan Rosen, CEO of Lille Corp. "Novell has really expanded
the range of Linux-based solutions that we can offer to our customers."
Capital Cardiology Associates is a case in point. With roughly 200 Linux
desktop users, they recently moved from Red Hat to SUSE LINUX to take
advantage of Novell's Linux management and identity services offerings. They
also deployed Novell's GroupWise(R) for Linux. Another health care provider,
Pulmonary and Critical Care Services, turned to Lille Corp. to move to a more
cost effective environment. Leveraging Linux at both the server and client
level, PCCS has moved its GroupWise collaboration solution onto Linux,
continues to run Novell(R) NetWare(R) for file serving, and has tapped Novell
eDirectory(TM) to manage access across the mixed network environment.
    Partners are seeing the value of working with a Linux vendor that also
provides services to meet their customers' needs in heterogeneous
environments. Novell's identity-driven solutions continue to add value to both
partners and customers by solving pressing management and security challenges.
Computer Integrated Services of New York (http://www.ciscony.com) helped the New York
Public Library choose a Novell identity management solution to let its
3600 employees in 85 branches access the network securely. "Novell's
leadership in directory technology has let them build strong management and
security solutions that leverage identity really well," said Michael
Zepernick, president and CEO of Computer Integrated Services. "Identity-driven
solutions that work across existing, diverse platforms help secure the network
while also driving down administrative costs."
    Partners are empowered to provide these solutions to their customers
through the Novell PartnerNet(R) program. In 2005, the program contains
enhancements that will continue to promote partner growth. These include a new
Silver level for smaller partners who wish to engage with Novell, additional
free training offerings, and streamlined access to Novell resources. The value
of the program continues to be recognized by partners and by the industry.
Novell recently received the Xchange Xcellence Award for Best Partner Program
and Strategy, voted on by participants at the VARBusiness Tech Innovators
conference in October 2004. "We're gratified by the ongoing recognition our
partner program receives," said Ladd Timpson, worldwide director of channel
marketing for Novell. "The program succeeds because our company-wide
go-to-market strategy embraces the channel and focuses significant resources
at the field level to drive business through a partner-led model. We reward
our channel partners for driving demand for Novell's solutions -- helping them
grow their margins as they do."
    "We measure the value of our various partnerships in real dollars to the
bottom line," said Paul Hillman, president of C/D/H Technology Consultants
(http://www.cdh.com). "Novell's PartnerNet program year-in and year-out is always
head and shoulders above the other programs. It's the most successful and most
profitable relationship we have."

    About Novell
    Novell, Inc. is a leading provider of information solutions that deliver
secure identity management (Novell Nsure(R)), Web application development
(Novell exteNd(TM)) and cross-platform networking services (Novell
Nterprise(TM)), all supported by strategic consulting and professional
services (Novell Ngage(SM)). Active in the open source community with its
Ximian(R) and SUSE(R) LINUX brands, Novell provides a full range of Linux
products and services for the enterprise, from the desktop to the server.
Novell's vision of one Net -- a world without information boundaries -- helps
customers realize the value of their information securely and economically.
For more information, call Novell's Customer Response Center at 888-321-4CRC
(4272) or visit http://www.novell.com . Press should visit
http://www.novell.com/pressroom .

    NOTE:  Novell, NetWare, GroupWise and Nsure are registered trademarks;
PartnerNet is a registered service mark; exteNd and Nterprise are trademarks;
and Ngage is a service mark of Novell, Inc. in the United States and other
countries. SUSE is a registered trademark of SUSE LINUX AG, a Novell business.
*All third-party trademarks are the property of their respective owners.



SOURCE Novell, Inc.
Web Site: http://www.novell.com