The University of Cape Town (UCT) recently renewed its Corporate Licence Agreement (CLA) with Novell as a show of its ongoing support for the vendor's products.

UCT has been relying on Novell for its network infrastructure since it first installed a network in 1984. Right from the start, the university has been satisfied with the performance and reliability of Novell 's products. To champion sustained strategies and new information technology projects, and take advantage of Novell's purchasing and service licence, UCT has now signed a CLA with Novell Channel Partner, SBS Africa .

A CLA licence entitles an organisation using Novell's products to economically structure its IT needs. Under the contract, UCT can profit from a strong relationship with an experienced Novell Channel Partner and receive partnership benefits from Novell at the same time. Not only does the CLA offer flexible purchasing and service options but substantial volume discounts, which will help the University reduce the cost of acquiring and managing Novell software.

Under the CLA, UCT can choose from a wide array of options in licensing, technical support, product selection and education, allowing the option to select the benefits that best suit its needs. Benefits include cumulative volume discounts, upgrade protection, simplified budgeting and site licensing.

"Novell NetWare was once considered the network server of choice in the industry and we are still happy with its products and services. Even though a growing number of our servers are based on Microsoft, the core is still Novell and will remain so," says procurement manager at UCT, Brian King.

The signing of the CLA agreement is part of a dynamic relationship between UCT and Novell to support the IT department's continuous development and evolution.

UCT will take advantage of this Novell agreement to support its strategies. One such endeavour is the University's strategy to migrate from a thick, client-based e-mail system to a Web-based e-mail system.

UCT has positioned Novell eDirectory and NetWare as the core building blocks from which services are delivered. "It's NetWare that we use and will continue to use."

"New administrative features make NetWare an attractive choice for any network administrator. Using the power, scalability, and security of Novell eDirectory, you can strengthen your business relationships without having to worry about the safety of your data. ConsoleOne and ZENworks for Desktops provide easy remote administration options, while NetWare Management Portal actually enables you to perform server and file system management tasks from any Web browser on your network," explains Mandy Eagar, Major Accounts Manager at Novell in Cape Town. "Web-based monitoring and management is a strategic focus for NetWare, especially in NetWare 6 releasing later this year."

SBS is the Business Expert that services the UCT account. Although UCT has extremely well skilled IT staff, it has adopted the strategy of relying on SBS for more specialised services.

"As a Novell Business Expert, SBS has invested in training and support and we are proud to be involved with a prestigious institution like UCT. We enjoy using this expertise to meet the challenge that the university poses," says Jacqui Betteridge, SBS senior account manager.

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