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

To: rudedog who wrote (34313)	10/16/2000 9:58:13 AM
From: Frederick Smart	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 42771

RudeDog..... >>Since I don't currently hold any NOVL I will get off of my soapbox. But don't you think it is high time for NOVL to quit blaming everyone else in the industry for their execution failures and look at themselves? With great technology in a number of areas, products that were years ahead of the rest of the industry, and a fine vision, they still managed to blow it. Why?>> You want to come in here and clean shop?? Please elaborate on this..... I have shared my ideas, thoughts and "gut" feelings about this, but PLEASE give it one last college try: WHY???? Peace. GO!!

To: rudedog who wrote (34313)	10/16/2000 10:14:32 AM
From: PJ Strifas	Respond to of 42771

>>PJ - don't you think you are living in the past? you say >MSFT - a rival to NOVL This is how everyone else seems to portray the 2 companies. Isn't Active Directory compared to NDS? Isn't NetWare compared to WindowsNT/2000? If they are not competitors (rivals) then what are they?? Novell surely does not compete in all the markets that MSFT is involved with but MSFT sure seems to compete with NOVL in markets that NOVL is involved with. If I were to start a new company which company's products do you think I would seriously consider for my networking needs? SUNW, MSFT & NOVL. If that's not the definition of a rival or competitor than please forward the books you've been reading :) I apologize if I gave you the impression that NOVL's current woes are to be blamed on MSFT. I honestly do not believe that. As I have stated on more than a few occasions, Novell is its own worst enemy. >>. . . but the conclusion that MSFT is therefore insincere >>about pushing a decentralized model does not follow. MSFT >>wins in the decentralized world - that s where they have >>always won. SUNW wins in a centralized world. I totally agree with this statement but my response was to Fred's comment that companies should "open up" and look out for individuals first and their bottom line second as if their business focus is more philanthropic than revenue minded. I suppose my comments lean on the history that Fred and I have so it may be misleading to read. I do not believe there are any companies in the world following this type of business agenda nor would it be a successful path to follow in any form. I disagree that they have managed to "blow it" - it is not over to make that determination (IMO). You are projecting their failure with NetWare onto their future (and their directory product) which can be a fair projection looking over their recent history. I am by no means discounting history repeating itself but also by the same token I do believe that people (and companies) can learn from the past. You can point at the current share price as evidence that Novell is again "blowing it" but looking at the market as a whole, MANY companies are down over 50% and more so... I do not endorse anyone buy NOVL without considering their past. After all, investing has some risk and NOVL current has risk attached that is much greater than some other companies. What I see is that this company drove itself to the $40 per share range and I feel they can do it again. Their technology is NOT insignificant. In the past, NOVL fell short (blew it) because it did not have the breadth of products to drive revenues in the face of dwindling NetWare sales. NetWare 5 drove NetWare sales to new heights but again, there was no supporting products to maintain or continue the momentum. Anyone who does not recognize these facts does not truly understand what happened to Novell in the past 18 months. Now with more products driving revenue and NetWare 6 in the works, I can see the chance for Novell to again, drive revenues and sustain them with these new products (and soon services). More on this later..... Regards, Peter J Strifas