UK misses out on Novell's latest public sector discount

Novell has begun selling its products to the German public sector for less than half price, the company said on Thursday.

The offer, which will run until 15 October, 2005, allows German government agencies with up to 500 users to obtain a 60 percent discount on all of Novell's products. The concession is in response to the "strained budget situation in the public sector", according to a Novell statement.

This offer is unlikely to be extended to the UK, according to a Novell spokesman.

"National governments tend to issue their own guidelines and requirements on procurement of technology, which means that Novell's public sector promotions are country specific," said the spokesman. "The German offer is therefore tailored to that particular market."

The spokesman pointed out that Novell already offers various discounts to the UK public sector.

The company offers government agencies a package of seven of its products, including its NetWare operating system and its ZENworks software management toolset, at an annual cost of around £60 per workstation. A number of government bodies are using this package, including over 60 local authorities, according to Novell.

It also offers a 50 percent discount to government customers for its email and collaboration tool GroupWise. This discount is greater if customers already use another email product such as Microsoft Exchange or Lotus Notes.