Novell doesn't believe the recent Microsoft/Novell/Intuit card shuffling has weakened its hand in the computer software market.

Public relations specialist Blake Stowell says, in fact, that Novell stands to make good money on the deal and pick up the lion's share of an increasingly popular market.Stowell spoke in reaction to a story released last week by David Coursey, editor of the P.C. Letter, an industry newsletter, that said Novell looks silly and will be shut out after Microsoft adds Intuit's Quicken program to its bundled programs in a $1.5 billion deal.

"It's been kind of interesting because we've spoken to six or seven analysts since the deal was worked out and Coursey was the exception," said Stowell. "Everybody else said, `hmmmm, that makes sense,' once they understood what we were doing."

Stowell said perhaps Coursey doesn't realize that as Novell picks up the Microsoft Money program to add to its portfolio, along with that comes the bundling agreements with at least two hardware manufacturers (Gateway 2000 and Packard Bell) and the business relationships developed with four major American bankers.

Microsoft adds Quicken to its portfolio, filling a gap where they needed a tax program, said Sto-well, while Novell adds a personal finance program to its portfolio.

"We paid no up-front money," said Stowell. "We will pay Mi-cro-soft a short-term royalty and then we're done."

"We were both out a product, and we've both gained a product," he said.

Microsoft Money will probably be marketed as part of WordPerfect Mainstreet applications. It may be retitled, but Stowell isn't sure of that yet.

The Department of Justice and shareholders must yet approve the trade, announced just three weeks ago. That's expected to take 90-120 days.

If it goes, Stowell said, the prospects look good with DataQuest - a computer analyst research firm - projecting that 20 million units will be sold by 1998.

Sales in the country are climbing, but international sales are skyrocketing. Six million units of Quicken have been sold and two million Microsoft Money units. Money has a 60 percent market share internationally and is entrenched in the Ukraine, Australia and Canada, he said.

"It's one of the fastest growing categories there is. Is this a good time to be in this category or what?" asked Stowell.

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He isn't worried about Microsoft's monopoly because marketing surveys show most consumers buy their personal finance and tax products separately from their computer purchase.

"We look at this as a win-win situation," said Stowell. "There's a perception that this came about as a result of the meeting between Bob Frankenberg and Bill Gates and Bob is just helping out Bill. We look at this as win-win business."

For a while, ironically, the two companies will be offering each other's products since WordPerfect Windows bundles Quicken, and Microsoft Money will continue to come with Microsoft Windows.

"We're in the position of pitching each other's products," said Stowell.

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