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Novell and Oracle Expand Strategic Alliance To Deliver Integrated Application Platform

Articles and Tips: article

01 May 1997


Novell and Oracle Expand Strategic Alliance To Deliver Integrated Application Platform

On March 24, 1997, Novell and Oracle Corp. announced a strategic alliance to simplify and accelerate the move to network computing for millions of Novell and Oracle customers. The alliance enables businesses worldwide to take advantage of the new generation of web technology while reducing their overall cost of ownership.

As part of the agreement, Novell has agreed to integrate and ship Oracle's new Web Application Server 3.0 technology with Novell IntranetWare, Web Server and Novell Directory Services (NDS) software. Oracle will also create a dedicated Novell Products Division to spearhead technology integration as well as joint sales, marketing, education and support activities with Novell.

The alliance establishes a business relationship whereby both companies will influence current and long-term network computing trends. Novell and Oracle own 60 and 40 percent, respectively, of the installed base in their core markets. Their combined market strength will work to accelerate business' ability to deploy Java-based network computing applications with their existing enterprise and workgroup systems.

"This is an important agreement that will accelerate the migration to the next-generation of network computing," said Ray Lane, president of Oracle. "Millions of businesses already use Oracle and Novell software, and our joint efforts should allow them to seamlessly take advantage of new technologies, reduce their corporate computing costs, and conduct real business over the Internet."

"Oracle's integration with IntranetWare, coupled with their work with Novell Directory Services (NDS), is an important step forward for the Novell application server platform," said Joe Marengi, president of Novell. "Through this partnership, IntranetWare and Network Computing Architecture move forward to support networked applications tied together by Novell Directory Services. This also helps establish NDS as the standard directory service for Internet and intranet applications."

Based on the agreement, Novell and Oracle will work together to integrate Novell IntranetWare and NDS with Oracle Web Application Server creating a fully Java-enabled Network Computing Architecture compliant application platform that leverages users' investments in Novell and Oracle software. These combined efforts will provide users with faster and more secure access to critical data and applications, as well as more efficient management of network resources.

Oracle Web Application Server provides the first unified platform for developing and deploying applications on multiple Web server HTTP's, such as Novell, Netscape, Microsoft, and Spyglass. The joint Oracle and Novell solution provides essential network services, such as directory services, security and user and application management, required for building and deploying real business applications on the Internet.

The new agreement outlines commitments to expand joint development, integration and marketing of solutions based on Oracle and Novell key products and technologies. Based on the agreement, Oracle has formed the Novell Products Division, a new business unit within Oracle dedicated to the integration of Novell network operating systems and Oracle database server and Web products into complete network solutions. In addition, the companies will:

  • Novell will integrate and distribute Oracle Web Application Server technology with IntranetWare. This will yield a potential installed base of more than one million servers in the next year that support Network Computing Architecture (NCA), a complete Internet application framework that allows any Network Computer, PC, or other client device to interact with any Web server, application server or database server over any network.

  • Oracle will expand support for NDS on all leading platforms. This will establish a common cross-platform directory infrastructure for network applications, enabling administrators to manage the resources of heterogeneous networks from a single location and login.

  • Novell and Oracle will continue to expand IntranetWare as an application platform, creating an advanced development and deployment environment with full Java support. The resulting solutions will minimize complexity, reduce cost-of-ownership and preserve existing technology investments.

Oracle Corporation is the world's leading supplier of software for information management and the world's second largest software company. With annual revenues of more than $5.2 billion, the company offers its database, tools and application products, along with related consulting, education, and support services, in more than 90 countries around the world.

For more information about Oracle, please call (415)506-7000. Oracle's World Wide Web address is http://www.oracle.com/.

* Originally published in Novell AppNotes


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