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Novell Singapore on the mend

Summary

After snapping back from a year of sliding sales, Novell is sanguine about its business in Singapore and plans to forge ahead with a clearer marketing message.

Events

Microsoft MSDN/Developer Event
25 Mar 2010

One Marina Boulevard, Microsoft Singapore

IT Architect Regional Conference Singapore 2010
20 - 21 Apr 2010

Singapore Management University, Singapore

The Internet Show 2010
21-22 Apr 2010

Suntec Singapore

SINGAPORE--After snapping back from a year of sliding sales, networking software maker Novell is sanguine about its business in Singapore and plans to forge ahead with a clearer marketing message.

According to Novell Asia managing director Cliff Smith, the local operations turned the corner in the first quarter ending January 2002. Driving forces behind the positive performance were a change in management and an improvement in marketing efforts, Smith said at a press conference.

"We were looking at putting a stop to the decline (in sales) here," he said.

Singapore was Novell's worst performer for the first half of 2001, posting a revenue decline of 18 percent, while other Asian countries registered over 40 percent growth rates.

With the relevant changes made, Smith believes Novell's operations here will exceed its initial target of a 20 percent increase in sales this fiscal year ending October.

Since August, Novell has clinched close to 60 software upgrade deals from existing customers, said Lee Wai Hoong, Novell general manager for Singapore and Indonesia. Most of the contracts were for its NetWare operating system and GroupWise collaboration tool.

Lee, a former Cap Gemini Ernst & Young executive, declined to reveal the value of these contracts but listed Temasek Polytechnic, law firm Rajah and Tann, educational institution Informatics and property developer CapitaLand as repeat customers.

On a regional basis, Smith expects the rest of Asia to register over 20 percent growth for 2002. This will come from tighter marketing--a task the firm acknowledged has floundered globally--including condensing its 163 individual products into four suites to avoid confusion.

The refined list: Workspace (including NetWare and GroupWise); Network management (including ZENworks and Novell Directory Services); Secure Access and Provisioning (including eDirectory and SecureLogin), and Portals (technology consulting services).

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