Direct route ahead in business Direct route ahead in business Novell has more directory experience than Microsoft, and by forming an alliance with IBM it has given its directory a lead over its main rival in the battle for e-commerce. Dom Pancucci reports N ovell and IBM Global Services have forged a strategic alliance that signals a change both in the dynamic of the directory services market and in the way the directory is integrated within broader e-business environments. A directory is basically a repository to assist management of all users and systems on a network. It covers user identities, profiles and locations, as well as assets used such as online databases. In particular, the directory enables management of changing trust relationships and access rights in online trading.
Many enterprises already use the technology to manage networked users and their assets.
Now e-business communities demand directories beyond the enterprise, across multiple value chains. The Novell-IBM alliance applies first to Europe, but will go global later in the year. In the months ahead both Novell and IBM will be developing skills in eDirectory and WebSphere. By April, a group of IBM Global Services employees will hold the new Novell Certified Directory Engineer qualification, said Mike Lawrie, general manager of IBM in Europe. In turn, Novell is looking to bring WebSphere skills into its sales channels, according to its president, Eric Schmidt.