Novell planning to revitalise Gauteng-based NUGSA

Good news for Novell customers is that work has begun to revive the Gauteng chapter of NUGSA (Novell User Group South Africa). Originally established ten years ago to provide assistance and support to users of Novell technology, membership of the group began to dwindle when Novell SA began offering the same service to its customers.

According to Manoj Bhoola, Novell channel manager for Africa, many end-user organisations in Gauteng, such as technikons and universities, as well as several ex-NUGSA members, believe that the group still has a significant role to play. "The fact that the KwaZulu-Natal chapter is still very active is a clear indication that NUGSA fulfils a very important function."

"Our objective is to use NUGSA as a means to promote communication between the users themselves," Bhoola continues. "Meetings will be held every two months and speakers from end-user organisations will be invited to talk about how Novell technology has benefited their business. Consequently, we are urgently looking for Novell users to assist in the revival of the group by sharing their experiences with others."

Bhoola says there are numerous benefits to being a NUGSA member. "The group encourages the flow of information and knowledge transfer between Novell and its clients, thereby promoting Novell technology among users. In addition, end-users can discuss how they went about resolving any problems they experienced, which can be extremely beneficial to other end-users experiencing the same problem."

Furthermore, as NUGSA is affiliated to NetWare User International (NUI), members will also be entitled to receive NUI literature, which includes technical information on Novell products.

Bhoola concludes: "We foresee a bright future for NUGSA, owing to end-users` and channel members` eagerness to revive the Johannesburg chapter and their need to communicate with other customers." For more information, contact NUGSA secretary Rina Solomon at secretary@nugsa.org.za