Save Mart Supermarkets Selects Novell ZENworks for Better Endpoint Management and Security

WALTHAM, Mass., May 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Novell today announced that Save Mart Supermarkets, which owns and operates more than 240 grocery stores in California and Nevada, has significantly reduced IT overhead by implementing a combination of Novell® ZENworks® Configuration Management, ZENworks Asset Management and ZENworks Endpoint Security Management. All part of Novell Endpoint Management solutions, this product set will enable the retailer to effectively manage, monitor and secure all of its desktops, laptops, point of sale (POS) lanes and handheld devices, substantially reducing cost and strain on its IT resources.

"The more we can streamline our IT processes and lower our overhead costs, the better value we can offer to our retail customers," said James Sims, chief information officer, Save Mart Supermarkets. "Our IT department is now running at half the cost, as a percentage of revenue, of many of our retail peers. Employing high value solutions like Novell ZENworks Configuration Management is one key way we achieve this."

Save Mart has doubled in size over the last two years, placing significant constraints on the company's 12 system administrators who manage 1,200 desktops, 1,000 servers and 2,500 POS lanes across multiple operating systems and more than a dozen offices. The retailer needed a more efficient way of managing its numerous IT assets, distributing applications and patches, updating handheld devices and quickly resolving system issues and provision desktops. Further, when system issues arose at remote locations, technicians often had to spend time traveling to the site to troubleshoot.

Save Mart turned to Novell Endpoint Management solutions to streamline the management and security of all its endpoint devices and processes without increasing operational costs. With the ability to centrally distribute new applications, updates and patches with ease, Novell ZENworks Configuration Management helped Save Mart cut desktop provisioning time by 75 percent. The solution also proved very useful for troubleshooting system issues. Now, Save Mart can deliver value faster by using the remote control functionality in Novell ZENworks Configuration Management, which allows support personnel to take over a user's machine and swiftly resolve the issue, vastly improving first call resolution rates.

Additionally, in order to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements such as PCI and HIPAA, Save Mart deployed Novell ZENworks Endpoint Security Management.  The software locks down USB ports, thumb drives and other portable devices to prevent users from downloading sensitive information to removable storage devices, all without limiting user functionality. Finally, Save Mart deployed Novell ZENworks Asset Management to ensure software compliance and identify opportunities to reclaim or redistribute underutilized software licenses.

"Novell Endpoint Management is all about reducing the cost, complexity and risk of managing endpoints across their life cycles," said Jim Ebzery, senior vice president and general manager for Security, Management and Operating Platforms at Novell. "From centrally deploying applications and patches, to securing critical data, and gaining a clear picture of software licensing and usage, our solutions help enterprises take the necessary steps to secure their endpoints and use their IT resources to the maximum potential. Save Mart is a great example of how ZENworks provides the comprehensive endpoint management solution that can make a difference to a business' bottom line."

For more information on Novell Endpoint Management solutions, visit www.novell.com/endpoint. To read more about how ZENworks is helping reduce cost and complexity at Save Mart Supermarket, visit www.novell.com/success/savemart.html.

About Novell

Novell, Inc. (Nasdaq: NOVL) delivers the best engineered, most interoperable Linux* platform and a portfolio of integrated IT management software that helps customers around the world reduce cost, complexity and risk. With our infrastructure software and ecosystem of partnerships, Novell harmoniously integrates mixed IT environments, allowing people and technology to work as one. For more information, visit www.novell.com.

Novell, the Novell logo, the N logo and ZENworks are registered trademarks of Novell, Inc. in the United States and other countries.  *All third-party trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

SOURCE Novell, Inc.