Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

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

To: Spartex who wrote (22329)	5/27/1998 2:08:00 PM
From: Spartex	Respond to of 42771

infoworld.com May 25, 1998 (Vol. 20, Issue 21) Novell's ZENworks to ease administration Software management is added bonus By Emily Fitzloff Novell last week began shipping ZENworks (Zero Effort Networks), the company's directory services-based tool designed to provide network administrators with software management and distribution, as well as desktop management and maintenance capabilities. Targeted at simplifying the use of Windows-based PCs, ZENworks leverages Novell Directory Services to provide both user-based and machine-based software inventory and distribution, according to the company. Since announcing ZENworks in February, Novell has introduced three new features to the product: hardware reporting capabilities; workstation exclusion, which enables administrators to set policies for entire departments or organizations with the exception of a particular user; and user location profiles so users who work from different locations can specify where they are when they log in for appropriate rights. One Novell customer said his organization looked at a number of software distribution and desktop inventory type solutions before deciding on ZENworks. "ZENworks is a one-of-a-kind product," according to David Hasselbach, a network engineer at the University of Michigan Medical Center, in Ann Arbor, Mich. "The idea of a digital persona following you around after you log in to the directory service is great, and it's about time." However, Hasselbach said although the product eases the management of roaming users because it enables him to grant different types of rights to different machines, ZENworks still has room for some improvement. "The product could be enhanced with better reporting tools, a little more granular detail on policies, and the desktop inventory data would be better stored in a separate database -- like Oracle -- [instead of] the directory service," Hasselbach said. Available now, ZENworks is priced at $39 per user. The product is free to existing ManageWise customers who have maintenance contracts with Novell. Novell Inc., in Provo, Utah, can be reached at (888) 321-4272 (toll-free) or novell.com. Copyright (c) 1998 InfoWorld Media Group Inc.