Novell Inc, which has long been sweating over the reluctance of its NetWare 3.x user base to upgrade to the company’s next- generation network operating system, is to subsidize much of the work involved in the transition. It has formed an alliance with Simware Inc and will provide 3.x customers with the latest version of Simware’s Rexxware Migration Tool (RMT), free of charge, to help them upgrade to its latest IntranetWare software suite. The Simware tools retails at $800 and the move underscore Novell’s desperation to get its huge existing user base to switch to its latest generation of network operating system, Novell NetWare 4.x, later renamed IntranetWare. Version 3.x is unable to run Novell Directory Services, one of the key products that Novell is looking to keep its users onboard over the next few years and moving 3.x users to 4.x/IntranetWare is essential. According to some market research companies, only 7% of the NetWare 3.x base has made the transition to NetWare 4 completely though Novell maintains the percentage of users with mixed NetWare 3 and 4 environments is far higher than that. RMT is a server-based application that enables organizations of all sizes to upgrade their networks to IntranetWare by automating nearly 80% of the upgrade process. RMT is now available for free download through Simware’s web site at http://www.simware.com.
