Novell Inc said yesterday that it has acquired Netoria Inc, a privately held developer of directory enhancement software, for an undisclosed sum. The announcement was made at Novell’s BrainShare user conference in Nice, France and is part of the networking giant’s stated strategy of making more applications available for its Novell Directory Services (NDS) platform. Netoria writes applications specifically for NDS, with a portfolio of four main products. SFLOCK is an NDS-based method of providing special security enhancements to Windows NT servers and desktops enabling such things as locking screen servers and intruder detection. SFSEND is a program for sending pop-up messages or emails from the directory-based NW (NetWare) administration utility in NetWare. SFLOGIN simplifies and enhances the log in process by providing such things as single sign on for multiple applications. The fourth application, ScheMax, allows administrators to incorporate unusual types of data, such as company photos or social security numbers, within NDS.
It’s a smart, bite-sized acquisition for us, a spokesperson said, referring to the 8-employee strong company based in Orem, Utah. It allows Novell to get its hands on a top team of NDS developers and some valuable technology. Netoria is one of several start-ups that has already received funding from Novell as part of its stated strategy to seed the market with its flagship NDS version 8 and then sell as many applications as possible on top of it. It’s not yet clear whether Netoria’s products will number in the 10 ZENs that the company’s CEO Eric Schmidt talked about during its US user conference earlier this month. The term refers to Novell’s successful ZENWorks desktop management application. At the show, Schmidt told users to expect at least 10 other such NDS-based applications in due course. The spokesperson said Novell was still evaluating Netoria’s products and would make a decision as to their positioning within the next 90 days.
Either way, the products will be integrated into Novell’s New Products Initiatives Group, reporting to Mike Sheridan, VP of strategic business. During the transition period, Netoria will continue to distribute and support its products through existing channels, Novell said. Although the company wouldn’t disclose the details of the acquisition, it did say it that given Netoria’s small size, the purchase wouldn’t be material to earnings.
