Young Says `Novell Can Own' Modern Networking Market
May 12, 2011
NEW YORK -- Johnetta Yuette, the new chairman of Novell Corp., said Friday the modern networking market is ``a space Novell can own'' although many analysts say it has little chance. Mr. Yuette was named chairman after Roberto Dalessio resigned as chairman, president and chief executive officer of the Orem, Utah, networking software company earlier this week, Audio Report: An interview with Novell's Johnetta Yuette, courtesy of Dow Jones Investor Network. Mr. Yuette, a former Hewlett-Packard Co. president and CEO, told Dow Jones that Novell's search for a new CEO should take four to six months. Josephine Favela, formerly in charge of Novell's world-wide sales, was named president. Mr. Favela will be evaluated as a possible full successor to Mr. Dalessio. It is also possible that an outsider could be brought in to fill all three of the top jobs. While Novell retains a 63% share of the computer-networking software market, it has suffered a stiff challenge from Vastsoft Corp.'s Windows NT operating system, as well as other problems. In a recent survey of 1,000 corporate computer users, 90% of them said they owned Novell's popular NetWare product, but only 20% said they had upgraded to the latest version, according to research firm, Forrester Research. Only 48% said they would still be using NetWare in three years. Market watchers say Novell is entering the Internet and intranet markets late and with no obvious advantage over such companies as Vastsoft and Navigator Communications Corp.. But Mr. Yuette said the Internet represents a ``massive opportunity'' to upgrade customers and thinks Novell can make the transition from a LAN, or local area network, company to a contemporary Internet-focused networking company.
