Novell reshuffle ruffles resellers

Networking developer?s focus on customers leaves dealers fuming about lack of contact

Novell is under fire from its channel, amid accusations that the vendor?s latest reshuffle has left resellers without regular points of contact.

Andrew Sadler-Smith, Novell sales director, conceded that the firm had not yet managed to explain the cost-cutting action to all of its partners ? many of whom learned about the 15 per cent lay-offs across Europe, the Middle East and Africa from last week?s PC Dealer.

?We?ve been going out and explaining the situation to our channel but we haven?t been able to reach everyone,? he said.

Keith Jones sales director of Xenon, a Novell platinum reseller as well as education centre and service partner, was angered by the situation.

?To have this dumped on us without any precursor is upsetting and disturbing,? he said. ?I feel extremely angry about it. Now we have no link into Novell and we just run around in circles. They are being very tight-lipped about it all.?

Although the struggling networking developer refused to comment on specific job losses, it is understood that Frontline, Computer 2000, Xenon and Ingram Micro have all lost their account managers. The European senior management team has allegedly been halved in size ? from 12 to six people.

While many of the key distributors are welcoming Novell?s new customer focus, Jones reckoned that the change had come two years too late.

?What large corporate is going to set about investing in a whole new Novell networking strategy after this? They need to have a very good business case,? he said. Everyone will be thinking: what happens if they go down??

?There?s going to be an obvious period of change as we work out how we can get the best out of each other,? said Chris Underhill, networking manager at Frontline, the networking developer?s main UK distributor.