Despite its decline, the legacy of NetWare 3.12 lives on, with many organizations still using older versions of the software in legacy environments. For those who worked with NetWare 3.12, it remains an important part of their IT history, a reminder of the early days of LANs and the innovative solutions that helped shape the modern networking landscape.
The success of NetWare 3.12 helped establish Novell as a major player in the NOS market, with the company enjoying a significant market share throughout the 1990s. However, as the networking landscape continued to evolve, Novell faced increasing competition from other vendors, including Microsoft and IBM.
In the early 1990s, LANs were becoming increasingly popular, and businesses were looking for robust and scalable NOS solutions to manage their growing networks. NetWare 3.12 was designed to meet these demands, offering a range of innovative features that made it a market leader.
One of the key features of NetWare 3.12 was its support for multiple server platforms, including Intel-based servers, as well as those from other manufacturers like Compaq and HP. This flexibility allowed businesses to choose the hardware that best suited their needs, while also providing a high degree of compatibility.
Another significant feature of NetWare 3.12 was its support for a wide range of network protocols, including IPX (Internetwork Packet Exchange), TCP/IP, and AppleTalk. This made it an attractive option for organizations with diverse network environments.
NetWare 3.12 also introduced a number of improvements in terms of security, management, and performance. For example, it included a robust security framework that allowed administrators to define access rights and permissions for users and groups. The system also provided a range of management tools, including a graphical user interface (GUI) that made it easier to configure and monitor network resources.