Heavily subpoenaed by and poised to lock horns on the product front with Microsoft, Novell has made a bid for neutrality by agreeing to ship Internet Explorer with NetWare 5. Novell is already committed to shipping NetScape Navigator and a bundled NetScape Web server with NetWare 5, but says that by delivering the two, it's simply offering its customers choice. Even in Utah, butter won't melt in the company's mouth. But although on the surface the deal may not seem that important, it may have broader significance. It was cut recently, as Novell won't be shipping IE with the first copies of NetWare 5 when they come out, and Novell's current enthusiasm for Java and the Web means that there's some scope here for it getting itself involved in Microsoft Java as well as Sun Java. And the company may not have altogether given up hope of cutting the Microsoft-Novell deal that Bill Gates vetoed last year. ®