Novell Inc and AT&T Corp have joined forces on AT&T NetWare Connect Services, a planned global data network aimed at business users, and – as the name suggests – based on NetWare (CI No 2,407). AT&T is pushing the new service as complementary to AT&T Network Notes announced in March: while Notes is intended to provide an environment for multimedia work collaboration, AT&T hopes that a wide range of NetWare Connect applications will be developed, and integrated with Network Notes through the NetWare 4 Directory Services. To this end, software development kits will be made widely available. For NetWare users, access to the service will be through the NetWare Link Services Protocols and the IPX wide area network interface, while the service will also support TCP/IP – and will be interconnected with the Internet and other public information networks. AT&T says that users will connect to the service either using dedicated access through its InterSpan Frame Relay Services, or remote access via its Information Access Service (a dial-up service that runs at speeds from 300bps to 14.4Kbps). For the future – although no timescale was given – access will also be provided via X25, ISDN and Asynchronous Transfer Mode. The system for messaging-enabled applications will be provided by AT&T EasyLink Services, and AT&T says that the service will support messaging hub capabilities for Novell Global Message Handling System, the Simple Message Transfer Protocol, X400 and other selected messaging systems. Directory synchronisation will be a major goal for AT&T EasyLink Services according to the company. AT&T is to provide a centralised root directory based on NetWare 4 Directory Services, and says that it will provide network management through its global Network Operations Centers. Network security is to consist of the user authentification features of NetWare Directory Services, as well as log-in and password controls of the AT&T services through which users will be connected. The firms are due to start implementing the service in the fourth quarter, with availability in the first half of next year. The service will be marketed both by AT&T directly, and via Novell’s sales channels.
