Novell and Cygnet Technologies have announced a strategic alliance to develop a solution that will greatly simplify the management of switches and other network devices.
Cygnet`s Unified Management Access (UMA) software, which is embedded in network devices, will make use of the identity management capabilities of Novell`s directory technology to enable the management of those devices through NDS eDirectory.
The combined solution will enable the dynamic configuration of network devices and allow organisations to provision network bandwidth according to user identities and profiles stored in eDirectory. Cygnet`s UMA and Novell`s eDirectory can be used to improve level of service, quality of service, bandwidth provisioning and seamless delivery of broadband Internet content, all features deemed critical by service providers and enterprises.
The Novell-Cygnet solution will also enable the automatic configuration of network devices, which increases administrator productivity, while reducing the number of onsite visits needed to service existing users and activate new ones. Because of the unique combination of standard protocol support, the result can be improved return on investment and reduced costs by smart device management and remote updates and upgrades of hardware.
"Novell has already enjoyed tremendous success with embedded systems through its Novell Distributed Print Services technology; and now we`re extending directory management and self-provisioning beyond printers to devices like network switches," said Novell sales manager James Thomas.
"This partnership and development with Cygnet gives Novell two strategic advantages in support of our one Net vision. First, we`ve increased the already strong value proposition for eDirectory by expanding the number and type of devices it can manage; and second, we`ve laid the technological foundation through which we plan to offer embedded directory technology in a broader range of network devices."
"The Cygnet Technologies and Novell strategic alliance marks the first time that two companies have developed a software system that enables the enterprise to reduce operational costs through a sophisticated, directory-based management of network devices," said Charles Schmidt, CEO and president of Cygnet Technologies. "This simplified management of devices within the network is possible because the intelligence is enabled within them."
NDS eDirectory, the industry`s most deployed directory service with nearly 139 million users worldwide, is the only directory service to support the multiple operating systems that exist in today`s enterprises, including NetWare, Windows NT/2000, Solaris, Linux, Tru64 Unix and soon IBM AIX. eDirectory is the only solution on the market that lets customers centrally manage network access, security and network resources in today`s emerging, one Net environment.
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Novell, Inc is a leading provider of Net services software that secures and powers all types of networks - intranets, the Internet and extranets; corporate and public; wired to wireless - as one Net, across leading operating systems.
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