Novell Took Its Eye Off The Basics
By Linda Bridges
While traversing the crowded NetWorld+Interop show floor in Atlanta this week, imagine yourself 10 years ago at the 1986 NetWorld show in Dallas. In virtually every kiosk, a "red box" was prominently displayed. Vendors and users alike cheered as they waved the NetWare flag. NetWorld was synonymous with Novell.
Not only because Novell owned the trade show's name, but because Novell had momentum. It was the networking force to reckon with.
That was then, this is now.
It would be extremely difficult, if not impossible, for Novell to rally such a high level of enthusiasm today. Even die-hard Novell supporters are finding it difficult to muster a little fervor. Many CNEs, CNAs, network managers, third-party vendors and Novell employees (past and present) have already demoted Novell to the rank of a second-tier player with a questionable future.
It's time for Novell to do some serious soul-searching. Before executing some master marketing blitz aimed at Microsoft, Novell should sort things out at home. It's time for Novell to get back to the basics.
Novell should stop promising unrealistic ship dates for products that, when they do make their way to dealer shelves, often require an inordinate number of patches and bug fixes.
The company should spare users the well-written, professionally orated "visions of the future" speeches that have been presented nearly quarterly by Novell executives--whose tenures scarcely exceed the life span of fruit flies.
The Novell employees that PC Week has heard from are not happy campers. Many in this extremely talented group feel alienated; their opinions don't seem to count. "Novell needs to treat their employees with more respect and make them feel like part of the team again. They aren't excited about their jobs. They just show up," said one employee who recently left the company.
As a result, Novell customers are often forced to deal with unknowledgeable, unmotivated Novell representatives. Consider, for example, a Fortune 100 consultant who had difficulty installing a NetWare 4.x server that had been express-mailed to him the previous day. When he called Novell, the technical support representative refused to offer any installation advice without a credit card number to which a $200 tech support fee could be charged.
Or consider the CNE who just wants to be acknowledged: "Once you become a CNE, you never hear from Novell." Then there are the many customers who want better notification of the many patch fixes that Novell quietly, almost secretively, posts. Customers aren't asking for much. One suggested a simple step-by-step newsletter be sent to CNEs for patch notification. All ask for an honest, open line of communication.
As Novell's board of directors continues its search for an aggressive, charismatic new chief, it would be wise to remember the important, if dull, adage, "The customer is always right." While it's doubtful that Novell will regain its front-runner status as a networking powerhouse, being No. 2 with a satisfied customer base is better than many of the alternatives Novell now faces.
Before executing some marketing blitz aimed at Microsoft, Novell should sort things out at home.
Executive Editor Linda Bridges can be reached at linda_bridges@zd.com.
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