Description:

Novell’s shift from a technology provider to a solution provider has been a strategic and carefully plotted effort, centered on a new Solutions Creation and Marketing (SCM) organization, created in July 2003. Reporting directly to the CEO, the SCM group is free to design solutions that begin and end with customers’ business problems rather than Novell's individual products and services.

In April 2004, Novell launched its first integrated solution, the Novell secure enterprise dashboard, thereby taking a critical step forward in its solutions transition. The dashboard solution has received positive reviews from analysts, customers, and prospects, and the company reports a positive impact on revenue and margins.

This Case Study examines Novell’s transition from a product and services company to a solution provider. The dashboard solution is Novell’s first integrated effort to redesign, redirect, and expand existing products, services, and partnerships to deliver a customer-focused solution. In addition to changing external market perception and expectations, the company has also focused on internal change management, which, though not always comfortable, has been embraced throughout the company.