Novell Introduces Net Services

Novell has unveiled Net services, a suite of products aimed at establishing Novell NetWare's presence as the infrastructure platform of choice for e-commerce. Products in the suite include iChain, ZENworks for Servers, ZENworks for Networks, and Novell eGuide. All these products leverage Novell Directory Services (NDS) eDirectory, which stores the security and management data that these tools need to perform their functions. Novell's tools are extensible and have APIs to let e-commerce applications use Novell's management services. Applications such as customer relationship management (CRM), supply chain, and enterprise resource planning (ERP) software will leverage Novell's Net services.iChain lets partners trade securely among themselves by defining security levels. The partners can assign privileges to groups of users and access rights to data and applications. iChain goes beta in late April, and Novell expects to ship the product later this year via the channel (i.e., Value Added Resellers—VARs—and systems integrators). ZENworks for Servers lets an administrator centrally manage multiple servers over a network. From the console, an administrator can set policies on the network for software distribution, application updates, and network content accessibility. A set of rules can conditionally enforce policies. ZENworks for Servers will sell for $75 per user and will be available this month.A related product, ZENworks for Networks lets administrators establish rule-based policies, limit bandwidth for users, automate network management, and manage Quality of Service (QoS). ZENworks for Networks can apply these rules and policies across applications and devices from many vendors. The product can manage devices from Cisco, 3COM, Lucent, and other vendors. ZENworks for Networks is available now. Both ZENworks products complement Novell's previously available ZENworks for Desktop implementation.Novell eGuide lets users access the eDirectory and locate information associated with people or places on the network. eGuide also works with any other data source that conforms to the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) standard. Using eGuide, users can access information such as names, addresses, email handles, and network IDs with one-click access. eGuide is available now.