<PAGE>
                                                                    Exhibit 31.1

                                 CERTIFICATIONS

PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICER'S CERTIFICATION:

I, Steven W. Caple, certify that:

         1.       I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-K of Novo
                  Networks, Inc.;

         2.       Based on my knowledge, this Annual Report does not contain any
                  untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a
                  material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light
                  of the circumstances under which such statements were made,
                  not misleading with respect to the period covered by this
                  Annual Report;

         3.       Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other
                  financial information included in this Annual Report, fairly
                  present in all material respects the financial condition,
                  results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of,
                  and for, the periods presented in this Annual Report.

         4.       The registrant's other certifying officers and I are
                  responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure
                  controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules
                  13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the registrant and we have:

                           a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures,
                           or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to
                           be designed under our supervision, to ensure that
                           material information relating to the registrant,
                           including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made
                           known to us by others within those entities,
                           particularly during the period in which this annual
                           report is being prepared;

                           b) Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's
                           disclosure controls and procedures and presented in
                           this Annual Report our conclusions about the
                           effectiveness of the disclosure controls and
                           procedures, as of the end of the period covered by
                           this Annual Report based on such evaluation; and

                           c) Disclosed in this report any change in the
                           registrant's internal control over financial
                           reporting that occurred during the registrant's most
                           recent fiscal quarter) that has materially affected,
                           or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the
                           registrant's internal control over financial
                           reporting; and

         5.       The registrant's other certifying officers and I have
                  disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal
                  control over financial reporting, to the registrant's auditors
                  and the audit committee of registrant's board of directors (or
                  persons performing the equivalent function):

                           a) All significant deficiencies and material
                           weaknesses in the design or operation of internal
                           control over financial reporting which are reasonably
                           likely to adversely affect the registrant's ability
                           to record, process, summarize and report financial
                           information; and

                           b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves
                           management or other employees who have a significant
                           role in the registrant's internal control over
                           financial reporting; and

Date: September 29, 2003

                                                      /s/ Steven W. Caple
                                                   -----------------------------
                                                   Steven W. Caple
                                                   President
                                                   (Principal Executive Officer)