Novell's Schmidt touts closer ties with Compaq
By Lisa DiCarlo, PC Week Online
April 14, 1999 12:34 PM ET
HOUSTON -- Novell Inc. CEO Eric Schmidt today reiterated his company's message that directory-based networks, and the relationships of objects within them, represent the "second wave" of the Internet.
Schmidt made his comments in a keynote speech on the second day of Compaq Computer Corp.'s Innovate 99 customer conference here.
Just weeks after Novell's own BrainShare user conference, Schmidt said the Provo, Utah, company is trying to solve one of the biggest problems in the Internet and e-commerce, namely: Are Web surfers who they say they are?
To illustrate this, Schmidt demonstrated a single sign-on using a Compaq/Novell-developed fingerprint password technology first demonstrated at last year's PC Expo.
"We will use relationships, profiles, ID control and trust [to establish perimeters] for e-business,'' said Schmidt. "You can't do e-commerce if you're not sure who you're dealing with.''
A break for networks
Novell (Nasdaq:NOVL) also demonstrated NDS (Novell Directory Services) based ZENWorks, its desktop management software, which simplifies user settings, profiles, PC setup and modifications.
"These are some of the problems that have screwed up your network for years,'' Schmidt said.
In another demo, Novell showed how remote users can get duplicate office PC settings from anywhere on the road using a combination of its Novell Client and MetaFrame from Citrix Technologies Inc.
"I'm doing these demos because sometimes people don't understand how good things can be,'' Schmidt said.
Once competitors in some areas, Novell and Compaq (NYSE:CPQ) are now working together in several areas, including support of Novell's flagship NDS.
Schmidt said about 35 percent of all NetWare shipments are on Compaq servers, and that Compaq servers account for about 65 percent of all GroupWise shipments.
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