To All: Sun, Novell Extend Partnership (04/03/97; 2:00 p.m. EST)
By Stuart Glascock, Computer Reseller News
SAN FRANCISCO -- Software makers Sun Microsystems Inc. and Novell Inc. have extended their partnership to include marketing and software development, officials said in a joint statement released at Java One.
The companies said they planned to initiate projects based on Sun's Java programming language for the Internet and intranets. Novell has been struggling to adapt its product line to the Internet and has lost market share to rival Microsoft Corp. during the lag time.
Some analysts believe the company is laying the foundation for a comeback. In a sign of Novell's interest in regaining Internet market share, the company hired Sun's web-savvy chief technology officer, Eric Schmidt, as its new CEO last month. Novell already licenses Sun's Java.
The Sun and Novell statement said the partnership allows the companies to streamline development cycles, simplify network management and encourage platform-independent, network applications tied together by Novell's network services.
Novell will continue to deliver Java application programming interfaces from Novell IntranetWare and Novell Directory Services.
Novell and JavaSoft have been working together since March 1996 and have since delivered a series of Java products and technologies. Novell's Java-based administration project, code-named Houston, will provide customers with network management by integrating Novell and third-party administration products into a common platform. Houston will be 100 percent Java-compliant, Novell officials said.
"This partnership reinforces Novell's strategic direction to offer customers freedom of choice in an increasingly heterogeneous, client-network world," said Denice Gibson, senior vice president of Novell's Internet Product Group.
In addition, Novell has worked on some of Sun's Java API development projects, such as the Java Naming and Directory Interface, which allows information to be shared among multiple applications, regardless of platform.
Novell and Sun are strongly committed to the 100 percent Pure Java Program, the joint announcement said. Novell, Sun, IBM and Netscape are currently promoting a Java Education World Tour, designed to spread the word about their network solutions.
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This relationship should pay dividends now that CEO Schmidt is on board. We should see significant results as he has worked with the Sun group and can coordinate the managements together better than our previous leaders.
Joe- regarding the resignation of Novell Senior Vice President Carolyn Rose,(a 10-year Novell veteran who was instrumental in building the company's training and certification arm) resignation....perhaps we will see another announcement forming an educational and training alliance with Sun Microsystems. If so, more of the new programs will be focused on the virtural Java platform applications rather than NetWare specific NLM's. Could Novell be rethinking their 'certification' reseller program? As a result. maybe Ms. Rose felt it was a good time to step aside. She probably just got burnt out, too <gr>.
What's your take?
EKS
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