Compaq Announces Plans to Deliver Novell NetWare SMP; Integration with Compaq SmartStart Provides Optimized and Robust Platform for Multi-Processing Applications.

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 27, 1995 -- Compaq Computer Corporation (NYSE:CPQ), the leading provider of NetWare servers, today announced it will deliver NetWare 4.1 SMP from Compaq via SmartStart -- Compaq's intelligent method for installing and optimizing software on Compaq platforms -- in the first quarter, 1996. The combination of Compaq's high performance symmetric multiprocessing servers and NetWare 4.1 SMP will provide customers with an integrated and robust platform for running high-performance, scalable, business-critical applications on the network. With NetWare 4.1 SMP from Compaq, customers will realize increased throughput and greater overall system performance, and scalability on the server.

"We have been working very closely with Novell to bring NetWare SMP to market so that our customers could take full advantage of the multiprocessing capabilities of Compaq's award-winning application servers in a NetWare environment," said Gene Austin, vice president, Systems Marketing at Compaq. "Strong partnerships like this one enable customers to harness the full power of both hardware and software, for a reliable and optimized solution that can be deployed with confidence."

"The combination of Compaq servers and Novell NetWare 4.1 SMP provides customers with a scalable, high-performance platform that addresses the requirements of client/server computing," said Richard King, executive vice president, Novell Corporation. "Compaq has been a valued partner in our SMP development, and our partnership has resulted in server solutions that can support companies' business-critical information systems today and tomorrow."

New Platforms Provide Improved Performance While Protecting

Investments

NetWare 4.1 SMP allows software applications to run over more than one processor at the same time -- a capability that is vital for large, high-performance database applications, such as on-line teller systems, inventory, order entry, and purchasing applications -- enabling Compaq servers to accomplish more work in a shorter time. As more processors are added, the workload can be distributed among the processors, taking full advantage of the tremendous processing power Compaq's multi-processing systems offer.

NetWare 4.1 SMP is designed to be backward compatible with existing NetWare Loadable Modules (NLMs) and device drivers, as well as fully compatible with new SMP applications, allowing customers to protect their current investment. Also, since NetWare 4.1 SMP is a scalable solution, customers can expand their Compaq systems based on their business needs, again allowing them to further preserve their investments.

Compaq's Insight Manager, which allows system management over the network or remotely, via a modem, will also support NetWare 4.1 SMP, providing customers with a robust set of monitoring, alerting and control features, as well as remote maintenance, in network environments.

Compaq Continues to Lead Server Market

As demonstrated by its success in providing well-engineered and tightly integrated solutions, Compaq -- the number one provider of NetWare servers worldwide -- continues to lead both the server and the superserver markets with a combined 41 percent marketshare (2Q95), according to market research firm International Data Corporation (IDC). In fact, Compaq has held the number one spot as market leader in both the PC server and superserver markets since 1993, according to IDC.

Product Support

Compaq will offer NetWare 4.1 SMP through SmartStart, its CD-ROM based integration tool for configuring, installing and optimizing network operating systems, relational database and other client/server- related software. NetWare 4.1 SMP solutions have been optimized to take full advantage of Compaq's multiprocessing servers including both tower and rack-mount models of the Compaq ProLiant 4500, an enterprise-class application server, and the ProLiant 4000 and ProLiant 2000 servers. In addition, Compaq systems including the Compaq 32 bit Fast-Wide SCSI-2 controller, Compaq SMART SCSI Array Controller and popular NetFlex adapters (both NetFlex-2 and NetFlex-3 families) will be supported under NetWare SMP.

Compaq and Novell Partnership History

Compaq and Novell have been working together since 1983 to address the evolving needs of network customers including performance optimization and network manageability. As part of an Enterprise Computing Partnership, Compaq and Novell redefined customer ease-of-ownership and network integration to make it easier for customers to migrate business-critical applications to industry-standard servers, and simplify the operation and maintenance of networks. Compaq was a key partner in many activities surrounding the development of NetWare 4.1 SMP by providing test support for MP certification, MP driver certification for Compaq products, and pre-beta development versions of Novell multiprocessing technology. Compaq also developed the Compaq platform specific module (PSM) and comprehensive information and integration tools for NetWare 4.1 SMP including Compaq Insight Manager and SmartStart, which provides customers with greater levels of server management, dependability and ease of use.

Compaq Background

Compaq Computer Corporation is the world's largest supplier of personal computers, offering desktop PCs, portable PCs and servers. Founded in 1982, Compaq reported 1994 worldwide sales of $10.9 billion. Compaq products are sold and supported in more than 100 countries through a network of more than 38,000 Compaq marketing partners. Compaq provides 24-hour customer support and can be reached through the Compaq forums on America Online, CompuServe, Internet (http://www.compaq.com) and Prodigy, or by calling 1-800-345-1518.

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Compaq , Registered U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. ProLiant, SmartStart, Insight Manager are trademarks of Compaq Computer Corporation. DirectPlus is a service mark of Compaq Computer Corporation. Product names mentioned herein may be trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

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