Novell (NOVL) dirt cheap, good buy? Message Board

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Technology Stocks : Novell (NOVL) dirt cheap, good buy?

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To: Scott C. Lemon who wrote (30319)	2/15/2000 10:56:00 AM
From: PJ Strifas	Read Replies (1) of 42771

<<Microsoft's objective to "commoditize" the back-end directory, and so it will be the applications that integrate that will be the real issue and money maker.>> I totally agree with this statement one 2 points -- 1) MSFT excels at creating applications that meet user needs in some form or fashion while creating a development environment where others can also benefit. 2) Active Directory can not compete with NDS, so the best tactic is a proven MSFT tactic -- bring the focus to what MSFT can do well and make the other company's strength a non-factor. There's only one flaw with this message/tactic. Even if MSFT can create the applications or the development tools to build custom-apps that enhance their position MSFT will STILL NEEDS A STABLE DIRECTORY PRODUCT THAT OUTPERFORMS NDS FOR THOSE APPS TO TIE INTO. Good enough just won't cut it in the Directory space as it did in the desktop OS!!! Stand back a second and toss this thought around -- substitute OS for Directory in this post and you see the past. MSFT built an OS that competed with others (DR-DOS, OS/2, MAC etc). Windows did not see huge gains in marketshare until the MS Office bundle was created and businesses settled upon this bundle that allows inter-operability between apps. I'd also add the "per processor licensing" deals and other back room maneuvers that forced PC makers to offer MS Office with ALL Windows licenses as the final "nails in the coffin" for other OSes. This tactic pushed their product out to end users while other companies needed to sell shrink-wrapped versions fighting that extra mile to lure users to buy then install their product. Why should the average user do that when their shiny new PC already had a word processor, spreadsheet etc and there was no additional charge? (the charge was hidden in the price of the PC so what does the average consumer know?) But IMHO, MSFT will try to reproduce the past here - talk up the apps on their platform (the Directory) while minimizing the competitions leadership. For Novell to succeed they MUST HAVE LEARNED the lessons from the past otherwise they are doomed to repeat them. One advantage Novell has right now, MSFT does not have the strangle hold on PC makers as they once did. That leverage is waning - even if EVERY Win2K server ships with Active Directory doesn't mean people will be deploying it right out of the box. Novell needs to: 1) Create a robust developer support program to nuture interest in developing apps for NDS (even if it means sharing code! or creating paths into parts of NDS they don't want to share). They don't even need a huge army of developers - wars are not always won on numbers alone. 2) Demonstrate the importance of the Directory as the defining factor of how well a Directory App works. Let's face it, a building is only as good as it's foundation.... 3) Leverage open standards to an advantage. If MSFT writes apps to use LDAP - create hooks into those apps using LDAP, DirXML or any other product. Basically, use re-direction in Directory calls as they had done so in their NDS for NT product. Interoperate them to death. Ok, time for some coffee.... Peter J Strifas

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