Novell Expands Options for Mobile Wireless Collaboration

GroupWise Mobile Server and BlackBerry Enterprise Server v4.1 for Novell GroupWise provide best and broadest wireless support of all integrated collaboration environments

17 March 2006

Novell today announced the most complete, flexible and cost-effective e-mail and collaboration capabilities for users of mobile wireless devices. Novell® GroupWise® Mobile Server, powered by Intellisync, is now in beta testing and is expected to be available shortly to GroupWise users with upgrade protection, delivering seamless integration with more than 400 mobile devices and virtually every mobile operating system. BlackBerry* users will also connect more easily with enhanced GroupWise integration through the new BlackBerry Enterprise Server* v4.1 for Novell GroupWise from Research In Motion (RIM), which publicly debuts today at BrainShare. As a result, GroupWise users will experience the best and broadest mobile support in the industry, resulting in increased user productivity, simplified administration and lower costs.

“As an organization that supports a variety of mobile devices, we appreciate Novell's commitment to broad mobile support,” said Sean Azhadi, senior vice president for systems and technology at San Diego County Credit Union. “GroupWise Mobile Server, powered by Intellisync, will give our users access to GroupWise data on a wide range of devices. At the same time, Novell's partnership with RIM means excellent support for our BlackBerry users. With Novell, we are able to simplify the cost and complexity of delivering mobile communications to our workforce.”

According to IDC**, the mobile worker population will increase from more than 650 million worldwide in 2004 to more than 850 million in 2009. That's more than a quarter of the global professional workforce. The number of those workers accessing wireless e-mail is predicted to grow from 6.5 million in 2005 to 123 million by 2009.

Stephen Drake, IDC program director for mobile software, said, “As the global mobile workforce grows, so will collaboration vendors need to offer more flexible, integrated and cost-effective solutions to meet their needs. Suppliers successful at addressing these mobile workers' needs reflect the customer focus and commitment necessary to support the broad range of mobile devices in use today.”

To meet these growing needs, GroupWise Mobile Server delivers real-time wireless “push” synchronization of e-mail, appointments, tasks and contacts between a user's wireless mobile device and a GroupWise server. GroupWise Mobile Server works on smart phones, handhelds and PDAs from a broad range of vendors, running on Palm OS, Symbian, Windows Mobile, SmartPhone, PocketPC and SyncML. GroupWise Mobile Server works on standard TCP/IP connections, so it works with any mobile carrier that has deployed a data network and supports standard data communication protocols. Novell GroupWise Mobile Server is powered by the Intellisync Wireless Email platform, part of Nokia's range of software products enabling business mobility.

“Wireless communication isn't just for phone calls anymore,” said Kent Erickson, vice president and general manager of Workspace Solutions for Novell. “Wireless devices and smart phones give users access to e-mail, documents, appointments and other information that helps them be productive wherever and whenever. Novell's commitment to providing state-of-the-art collaboration tools extends to anyplace a customer needs access to information to effectively do his or her job.”

The new BlackBerry Enterprise Server 4.1 for GroupWise builds on the powerful and proven BlackBerry platform that delivers secure wireless communications and mobile access to corporate data with a superior user experience. The new release, expected to be available in early April, makes it easier for organizations to manage larger BlackBerry deployments, further extends the platform for developers, and provides integration with Novell's GroupWise Messenger for enterprise instant messaging. Customers will continue to benefit from a push architecture that provides access to e-mail, voice, Web browser, corporate data applications and calendar, organizer and other PIM functions. And with RIM's BlackBerry Connect* initiative, devices featuring BlackBerry push delivery technology will connect to BlackBerry Enterprise Server for Novell GroupWise, providing added device choice for customers.

Alex Paz, senior systems analyst at BJC HealthCare - Information Systems, said, “BJC HealthCare is committed to improving the health and well-being of the people and communities we serve, and robust wireless communications technology has played an important role in furthering our mission. Between the new manageability and enterprise instant messaging capabilities in BlackBerry Enterprise Server v4.1 for Novell GroupWise, and the BlackBerry ecosystem of third-party software developers creating mobile solutions that enable workers to access business applications and essential data, we will see a substantial expansion of our BlackBerry use by the end of this year.”

For more information about GroupWise Mobile Server, visit http://www.novell.com/products/groupwise/mobileserver.html. For more on BlackBerry mobile solutions for GroupWise users, visit http://www.novell.com/products/groupwise/blackberry.html.

About Novell

Novell, Inc. (Nasdaq: NOVL) delivers Software for the Open Enterprise™. With more than 50,000 customers in 43 countries, Novell helps customers manage, simplify, secure and integrate their technology environments by leveraging best-of-breed, open standards-based software. With over 20 years of experience, more than 5,000 employees, 5,000 partners and support centers around the world, Novell helps customers gain control over their IT operating environment while reducing cost. More information about Novell can be found at http://www.novell.com.

Novell and GroupWise are registered trademarks, BrainShare is a registered service mark, and Software for the Open Enterprise is a trademark of Novell, Inc. in the United States and other countries. *All third-party trademarks or registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

** “Worldwide Mobile Worker Population 2005-2009 Forecast and Analysis,” Oct. 2005, Stephen Drake, IDC

Certain versions of content ("Material") accessible here may contain branding from Hewlett-Packard Company (now HP Inc.) and Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company. As of September 1, 2017, the Material is now offered by Micro Focus, a separately owned and operated company. Any reference to the HP and Hewlett Packard Enterprise/HPE marks is historical in nature, and the HP and Hewlett Packard Enterprise/HPE marks are the property of their respective owners.