And not connecting this network to other networks at remote offices, trading partners or with the web, would be like trying to get by using a well in the back garden. According to David Ball, channel marketing director at network management vendor Computer Associates, networks are becoming much more important to people's businesses. And in the same way that the average householder takes it for granted that there will always be water on tap, the average network user demands fast and reliable access to applications and data, without ever having to wonder where they are located or how they are delivered. They want the service to be the same wherever they go. Like many other vendors, Novell sees the modern network as a single entity which can embrace employees, contractors, customers and suppliers whose status determines which areas they are allowed to access.
Single entities require a holistic view from suppliers and resellers.
The successful companies of today are those that realise these technologies are all interdependent. Now, they are likely to be described functionally as intranets, extranets or websites. Ecommerce and the internet are undoubtedly the main drivers in the networking market today. Browsers and portals dominate the front end of networking, and internet standards such as XML are permeating through back-end technologies such as operating systems and network management tools. According to Andrew Glen, UK ecommerce marketing manager at Sun Microsystems, reliability and availability are crucial, since nobody wants to take their website down to do a back-up.