Novell Goes Outside for E-Commerce Help

Novell Inc. signed an agreement with e-commerce service
provider
Digital River Inc. to manage the e-business portal shopNovell.

Novell said the move is aimed at enhancing e-commerce efficiencies and
increasing cost savings to end-users. Financial arrangements were not
disclosed.

shopNovell is an e-business portal delivering Novell Net services software to
end-users, and to Novell’s existing channel and partner community, including
resellers, ISVs and OEMs.

The shopNovell solutions portal will provide global e-commerce opportunities
for
Novell in the United States, Latin America and Asia, with localized
shopNovell sites in Canada, Europe, Middle East and Africa coming in the next
quarter.

“The … portal is designed to appeal to consumers and extended channel markets
who prefer to access products and services online,” said Mark Taylor, vice
president of channel sales at Novell. “Outsourcing these operations to
Digital River provides a cost-savings, and leverages their online marketing
services and strong e-commerce management expertise”

The deal gives Novell “an opportunity to grow shopNovell based on a very
scaleable system while expanding sales of their market-leading Net services
software titles globally,” said Jay Kerutis, executive vice president of
Digital River’s Software and Digital Commerce Services Division.

Digital River’s e-commerce services include site development and hosting,
order and transaction management, system integration, product fulfillment,
e-marketing and customer service.