Onward Novell is now targeting the SME segment

After more than two months of Novell 6.0 launch, Onward Novell Software (I) Ltd is intensifying its promotional activities in India. Banking sector has been a secure niche market for Novell's NetWare followed by telecom and big corporates. But the SME segment has been by and large missing from the client list of Novell so far. Few SME takers are there in the market; even Novell's distributors are now worried about the breadth of market share for Novell.

The promotional policy has taken a paradigm shift in Novell India. Motive is to project Novell as a complete solution company rather than a NetWare company. To tap the SME segment, Novell is now focusing on creating an SI and VAR community. It will be giving regular training on Novell's technological expertise and will have a full time faculty to inform this community about the new products.

Sunil Bhat, Manager (Channel Sales - North India), Onward Novell, said, "As the IT industry matures in India, end user is exploring various products. Thus, it is imperative for us to educate buyers and our sales channel about our visions and plans."


Prior to the launch of the Novell 6.0, Novell had boot camps--small workshops for its consumers in various cities. "Such an activity boosts our product launches because end consumer already knows what the product is all about," said Bhat. Now Novell has a dedicated training center in its office to educate end consumers and channel partners. Anyone can utilize these services. It has tied up with RT Outsourcing to give the technical support to its channel community.

This new policy is reflected in the statement made sometime back by Allen Mark, VP (Global Sales), Novell, "Novell is an 18 year old company and it has taken us 17 years to learn marketing."

Satyen Parikh, Area Director (Indian Subcontinent), Onward Novell, had envisaged a new strategy to create 'One Net' a month ago. One Net--a vision where all types of networks (intranets, Internet and extranet; corporate and public; wired to wireless) work together as one Net to simplify the present complications. "Most network software products available today fail to serve the Net as a whole. Instead, they provide file-and-print sharing, security, management, directory etc within a specific work environment to a specific application or network. We want to be the leading provider of Net services software that secures and powers all types of networks as one Net across all leading operating environments."

To gain this status, Novell has launched a plethora of IT solution products--Zenworks, Border Manager, Single Sign on, I-chain, DirXML, Novell 6.0, Groupwise 6.0; to name a few. Impetus is on to sell Novell's solutions to IT intensive enterprises such as call centers.