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Technology Stocks : Novell (NOVL) dirt cheap, good buy? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: t2 who wrote (27196)	6/16/1999 5:47:00 PM
From: Spartex	Respond to of 42771

<<IMHO. Oracle, Sun are whiners >> Er did you really mean winners? ORCL didn't do to bad today, eh? GO!!!! QuadK

To: t2 who wrote (27196)	6/16/1999 5:50:00 PM
From: Spartex	Respond to of 42771

Last month Novell released a product, as promised and on time, that enables organizations to take their enterprise networks to new levels and achieve four critical goals: - Expand their networks--and their businesses--without fear of exceeding limits on scalability - Set up a robust, rock-solid foundation for electronic commerce based on Internet standards - Bridge the gap between their network, e-commerce, and extranet directories, eliminating the need for such special-purpose Internet directories - Protect their network with Internet-ready security like PKI and secure authentication services That product is NDS 8, the latest version of the world's most widely used network directory. Already, after less than a month of availability, it has been downloaded by thousands of customers, developers, and vendors eager to see for themselves how its performance, functionality, and scalability stack up against other directories and previous versions of NDS. Read the new lead story, titled "New NDS 8 Delivers," for more details about Novell's scalable directory: novell.com

To: t2 who wrote (27196)	6/28/1999 10:49:00 PM
From: EPS	Respond to of 42771

news? ============== But in the broader market, where Microsoft makes its money, Office 2000 sales are going to ramp up, I believe, much more slowly than Microsoft says they will. And Maffei's familiar prediction of flattening or even -- gasp!-- temporarily sagging revenue growth will come true. I don't want to be anywhere around Microsoft's stock when that happens. What about the contribution from Windows 2000 (NT 5.0)? Well, the release date for the final version of the most-delayed product in Microsoft's history is still uncertain; most observers now peg its arrival at October to November of this year. (Be wary of such forecasts, no matter the source: Microsoft has repeatedly changed its release dates on this product, and with limited corporate interest in deploying Windows 2000 while Y2K worries remain, Microsoft might well keep the product in house for another quarter or two, to fine-tune the code.) Meanwhile, Windows 2000 has been fragmented into at least four separate products: Professional, for corporate desktop use, plus Server, Advanced Server and Data Server. All that division and redivision and reworking of the underlying NT 5.0 code base has made Windows 2000 stability a worry for some corporate managers. But far more say that though they're interested in the possibility of moving their servers to Windows 2000, they aren't likely to act anytime soon. Too many choices; too much uncertainty; too much pain. Linux gets a lot of press and a fair amount of corporate attention, too -- though few corporate network managers are anywhere near ready to consider actually adopting Linux yet. The hemorrhaging of Novell (NOVL:Nasdaq) Netware customers to NT has largely been stanched, thanks to strong leadership from Novell CEO Eric Schmidt and a rationalization of the Netware line. And while Windows NT 4.0customers have talked for years about their eagerness to move on to the next version, most have by now, with much work, much frustration and a series of minifix Service Packs from Microsoft, decided they can live with what they have. In sum, I don't think we're going to see big early volume for Microsoft in Windows 2000 licenses, either. Not just not this year, but not next year, either. Again, this slow start for Windows 2000 won't be mainly because of Y2K issues, which will in a sense be a self-resolving issue, but because the pain and problems of a companywide operating system upgrade are so great that network managers think twice -- then again and again and again -- about putting themselves, their companies and their job security through that wringer. As with Office 2000, Windows 2000 will unquestionably become an important corporate standard, and will eventually displace almost entirely Windows NT 4.0. Just not very quickly. All that does not augur well for a continued climb in revenue at Mister Softee, nor for a steady rise in the share price. Certainly Microsoft has withstood very well the buffeting of the past three quarters in a Washington courtroom, but that court's final decision, and the odds the bookies will lay on the success or failure of Microsoft's appeal, will eventually take their toll on the share price, as well. Microsoft could do an Intel (INTC:Nasdaq) here, settling with the Justice Department, but there just doesn't seem any midground on which the two could agree; a settlement would be a very good thing but doesn't seem likely. So, Microsoft bull though I've been, I think there are rough seas ahead for Big Redmond over the next few quarters. Microsoft will undoubtedly remain one of the great growth and profit engines of the U.S. economy, long term -- but if you're a Microsoft investor, it might be smart to think about taking a breather for a while ... while Microsoft profits do the same. Jim Seymour is president of Seymour Group, an information-strategies consulting firm working with corporate thestreet.com

To: t2 who wrote (27196)	6/30/1999 6:31:00 AM
From: EPS	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 42771

Wednesday June 30 2:00 AM ET Small Rival Wins Round In Suit Against Microsoft By James Nelson SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (Reuters) - A federal judge Tuesday ruled against Microsoft Corp.'s (Nasdaq:MSFT - news) request to strike down antitrust claims brought by tiny rival Caldera Inc., bringing another trial over the software giant's business practices a step closer. U.S. District Judge Dee Benson denied four motions by Microsoft to narrow the scope of Caldera's case, although he has not yet ruled on another three motions. Another hearing is scheduled next week on two more Microsoft motions. A trial in the case currently is scheduled to begin Jan. 17, 2000. Caldera contends that Microsoft engaged in a pattern of anti-competitive behavior intended to obtain and then maintain a monopoly position in the computer operating system market in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The Utah-based company, which now markets a version of the Linux operating system among other products, is seeking more than $1 billion in damages for lost sales of its DR-DOS software, which competed with Microsoft's now-defunct MS-DOS. The case is even more wide-ranging in some ways than the massive government antitrust suit brought against the Redmond, Wash.-based company, which just completed its testimony phase. Microsoft also is embroiled in lawsuits brought by Sun Microsystems Inc (Nasdaq:SUNW - news) and Bristol Technology Inc. In previous hearings, Microsoft argued that there was no merit to Caldera's claims over its licensing practices, so-called product ''preannouncements'' and disparagement of Caldera's products. Benson, in an 11-page ruling, disagreed and backed Caldera's position that while each practice might not in itself be a violation of U.S. Section 2 antitrust law, together they might form an illegal pattern of behavior. ''Caldera takes a broad approach to its Section 2 claim, arguing that based on an examination of all the predatory conduct Microsoft engaged in, Microsoft violated antitrust law,'' Benson wrote. Tuesday Microsoft lawyers argued against Caldera's claim that Microsoft acted improperly by denying the maker of DR-DOS access to beta test versions of the Windows 3.1 user interface. Attorney Jim Jardine said Microsoft was ''absolutely privileged'' to deny a competitor access to the unreleased software and added that Caldera released a competing product without ''substantial difficulty.'' Benson asked several questions about the ''absolute privilege'' and then said he would deny the motion. Benson also warned Microsoft lawyers against ''grandstanding'' in the courtroom, which has gotten increasingly crowded as the case has moved ahead. ''Spinning this case is not helping the court with the facts,'' he said. Benson had no immediate ruling on a separate motion over claims that Microsoft illegally tied MS-DOS and Windows together to create the Windows 95 operating system. Microsoft associate general counsel Tom Burt said he was disappointed with the rulings.

To: t2 who wrote (27196)	7/2/1999 6:18:00 AM
From: EPS	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 42771

Magic 25 Jul 02, 1999 Novell's Shares Trade up on Bright Outlook Shares of Novell are showing renewed strength on the heels of some promising new product introductions. The company announced the release of ZENworks 2, an enhanced directory based management solution. ZENworks makes a network manager's job easier by providing better control over data and usage of networks. ZENworks 2 will be able to take inventory of hardware and software on the network and will allow for better remote management of desktops. The product will also include anti-virus software from Network Associates (NASDAQ:NETA - news) and Y2K diagnostic and repair tools. At $59 per user, it should sell strongly into the corporate market. This product is part of a larger effort by the development team at Novell. Investors are expecting further product introductions throughout the year that will compliment the ZENworks line. Novell hopes to expand its footprint in directory based solutions, and to widen its lead over rival Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT - news) . Strong acceptance of these types of products will help to propel the shares to the next level. Stay tuned for further releases. It looks to be a busy second half of the year for Novell. Future price gains are predicated on the company's ability to deliver the "10 ZENS." Wall Street would be content if Novell delivered five or seven different lines over the course of the year. Most earnings models do not yet reflect much upside associated with the new products. these opportunities. One example of a product that is likely to be discussed is ICHAIN. Later in the summer we expect to hear more about ICHAIN, which uses the directory to "police" and maintain borders between the outside world and functions performed internally. It could be used to manage customer accounts or serve as a link frora company and its suppliers. We also expect the company to announce further inroads into the caching market, or relationships on NDS 8, a product that allows for the development of an Internet Directory. Regardless, Preferred Capital Markets analyst, Joel Achramowicz thinks that, "Novell is solidly positioned in the directory market." Mr. Achramowicz points out that many investors have been worried about Microsoft's (NASDAQ:MSFT - news) response to Novell's positioning in the directory market. But he says, "while Microsoft may dominate operating systems, they are unlikely to capture the lead from Novell in the directory market. Novell remains the leading, quality, scalable solution." Further, we would point out that as the Internet grows, so will Novell's opportunities. Another bit of good news. Novell's Group Wise product line attracted one million new customers through March 1999. These numbers were confirmed through International Data Corporation (IDC). Novell's NDS is gaining rapid acceptance in the marketplace. Moreover, we would expect further announcements with this line as worldwide usage of the Internet grows. Afterall, companies are routinely looking for a more efficient, more secure way in which to communicate. Group Wise now has a user base of over 18 million customers. As a refresher, Group Wise is a system that expands e-mail by offering scheduling and calendaring as options. Consensus estimates are calling for the company to earn $0.14 per share for the third quarter ending July. We believe that the company will likely meet or beat this estimate. Gruntal's Vivek Rao notes that "Wall Street will begin to converge on this growth story and we should see an expansion in earning multiple." We couldn't agree more. Mr. Rao has a $32 price target based up a 45.7x multiple of his FY 2000 estimates of $0.70 per share. Analyst: Glenn S. Curtis Updated on 6/29/99 with NOVL trading at $27 Recommended 11/16/98 at $14.38 fnews.yahoo.com