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: zwolff who wrote (31696)	5/18/2000 4:49:00 PM
From: ToySoldier	Read Replies (2) of 42771

Regarding our recent discussion on ICS and how little value the OEM web sites are for ICS... I had a good discussion with the Product Manager for IBM's ICS solution. He was great and eager in wanting to know more about how IBM could improve the ICS message and sellability. I recommended 3 things: 1. Improve the IBM Web Site on ICS so that once the customer reads the first page and is hooked on the ICS solution, you provide him a sub page that describes the IBM configuration options and how/where to buy. Also, it would be valuable to have another sub-link page that addresses some common questions and concerns customers would likely ask. He said he was the right person to address this issue and the recommendation is good. 2. Get the ICS/NetFinity message stronger and deeper into the IBM sales force and even the channel. We talked about avenues to address this. He also pointed out that IBM just recently entered into the ICS solution with Novell and so they are still getting up to speed, but the more avenues we could explore to get the message out - the better. 3. Suggest to NOVL that their next version of ICS include the DNS caching which the customers I talked with would like to see. It is in Novell's BM version of caching and it would be a real nice additional seller to have it in ICS. With all that being said, he did mention that ICS is the fastest growing NetFinity packaged solutions that he has seen. We both agreed that its a no-brainer to sell to customers. And to think that IBM hasn't even put much effort into selling it yet. I also think that if NOVL were to create a tracking stock for ICS and similar products, they could better compete against the Inktoma and CISCOs in this marketspace. Novell's product will struggle to get mindshare - if not marketshare as long as its name-associated to Novell. I hate to say this but the NOVL name is actually a bit of a restriction to the ICS product sell. Create a new and fancy company name that could be marketed to the industry with a focused business strategy of developing the fastest caching and Internet appliance solutions on the market. Also, a more marketable product name than ICS!! BORRINNGGGG! How bout Viper-Cache? or Light-Speed-Cache? Or anything that would provide and image that this is more than an "Internet Caching Service"?!?!?!? With a boring generic name like this, any customer looks at it and says "so it must just be yet another internet proxy cache". Who in Novell comes up with some of these absolutely boring and non-symbolic product names? Give you an example of why the name is important to the mindshare and sellability. When you go to a restaurant and you want a steak. You see three steak items: 1) Cajun spiced Beef Tenderloin Steak 2) Texas-Size T-Bone 3) Cooked piece of cow meat? HMMMM.... I wonder which of the three analogy options above would be compared to Novell's ICS? Yet another Marketing 101 rule that Novell has forgotten. OR, maybe I'm the dummy and am missing something in why Novell would name this kick-butt performance product with such a generic name. Cheers Folks! Toy

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