Novell's CEO, Robert Frankenberg, addresses pervasive computing in COMDEX keynote

Business Wire, Nov 15, 1994

LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 15, 1994--Novell President and Chief Executive Officer Robert J. Frankenberg in his COMDEX keynote Tuesday expounded on his vision of pervasive computing.

"Pervasive computing is more than connecting information systems and computing devices," said Frankenberg. "It's connecting people with other people and the information they need, giving them the power to act on that information anytime, anyplace."

Frankenberg showed Novell's CORSAIR advanced client, due to ship in 1995, which will broaden the network by allowing people to concurrently access their NetWare network, AT&T Network Connect Services (NCS) and the Internet.

CORSAIR's 3D graphical user interface can be customized to visually represent a user's own work environment such as a doctor's office, factory floor, bank teller or a classroom. From there, the user can click on the filing cabinet to access files, the office door to access information available on the company's network, the office window to access public services such as airline reservations or electronic publications from a newsstand, or the globe to reach international services.

"You might think of CORSAIR as a NetTop in the same way as Mac or Windows are desktops," said Frankenberg.

While Novell is working with companies like AT&T to extend the breadth of the network, the company is also working to add depth to the network. Novell Embedded Systems Technology (NEST) is a product that lets hardware developers make office equipment, computer peripherals, telephones and TV settop boxes NetWare ready to enhance and simplify access to the pervasive network.

"Our partners will provide the actual devices embedded with NEST networking tools and software," said Frankenberg. "And we, along with Regional Bell Operating Companies, international PTT telecommunication providers, cable operators, and many other important partners, will provide the networking infrastructure that connects these new intelligent devices."

Frankenberg emphasized the importance of NetWare 4.1 to customers and the entire industry as the only network operating system that is ready for tomorrow, today. It is built around an industry standard directory that makes networks easier to use and more powerful by combining directories for network services, resources and applications into one.

An example is the ability of NetWare Directory Services to integrate telephone, e-mail, voice mail, and network user directories into one. NetWare 4.1 provides simplified access to distributed network-enriched information from the smallest to largest networks.

Frankenberg also reiterated the importance of the UNIX system in a networked future, noting that today UNIX already supports more line-of-business and other mission-critical server-based applications than any other platform. Novell's UnixWare 2 will be the most advanced UNIX available for deploying line-of-business applications as network solutions.

"UNIX is already the leading application server operating system choice. Novell's commitment to UNIX is to carry it well into the next century as the best application server platform on the network," Frankenberg said.

Frankenberg illustrated the benefits of network applications and emphasized the need to develop applications that people will use without having to learn the network.

He showed the integration of desktop applications and network services in the Novell GroupWare line of products, giving people the tools to collaborate and communicate effectively. Frankenberg also showed the company's PerfectOffice applications suite, due out this December.

Applications like WordPerfect, which have long helped people master the creation of documents now helps people master the entire life cycle of a document. Beyond simple formatting, PerfectOffice can automatically print, fax, e-mail, or publish a document as a workgroup document.

"At Novell we are convinced every application will become a networked application," Frankenberg said. "If we teach applications to use the network, people won't need to learn it. We think it's easier to teach several hundred applications than one billion people."

Novell Inc.'s (NASDAQ:NOVL) business is connecting people to other people and the information they need, enabling them to act on it anytime, anyplace. Novell is the world's leading network solutions provider. The company's software products provide the distributed infrastructure, network services, advanced network access and network applications required to make networked information and pervasive computing an integral part of everyone's daily life.

CONTACT: WordPerfect, the Novell Applications Group

Beth Graviet, 801/228-5008