Novell beefs up Internet mail

Adds rules-based engine, Linux and Solaris support, and list server.

By Deni Connor
Network World, 05/29/00

The latest version of Novell's Internet mail package will make it easier for network executives to integrate messaging onto a single platform and manage larger volumes of mail.

The Novell Internet Messaging System (NIMS) 2.5, introduced last week, has several new features; among them the addition of a rules-based automation engine and support for Sun Solaris and Linux servers. Previously, NIMS only operated in Windows NT and NetWare server-based networks. In compliance with its Directory-Enabled Network Infrastructure Model strategy, which says all Novell products will operate cross-platform, NIMS now operates on four platforms: Linux, Solaris, NT and NetWare.

NIMS users can now define and apply processing rules to incoming messages to automatically copy, move or delete messages based on the sender, recipients, message subject, body text and other parameters. For instance, if a user wants to automatically delete all messages from a recipient without first reading them, he could create a rule that says, "When you receive a message from cheapmortgages@hotmail.com, delete it." NIMS will act on the rule, and when it receives messages from that sender, it will delete them without user intervention.

"We are rolling out NIMS to about 6,000 users in our organization," says Chip DiComo, network manager at Hellman Worldwide Logistics in Miami. "We have a lot of mail coming in we want to control from a rules perspective. For example, if I get a message from my boss, I'd like NIMS to automatically page me."

Novell also added a list server to NIMS that allows up to 500,000 subscribers per list. "Hellman is a widely distributed company, and we may not know all the air freight people in the world," says DiComo, who had no method of contacting all parties before. "A list server would let them subscribe to an information source and get company updates."

NIMS is integrated with Novell Directory Services for e-mail account management, billing and maintenance.

The price for NIMS 2.5 is $20 per user. It will be available in June.

Novell: www.novell.com