Novell NetWare is a network operating system developed by Novell in the 1980s. It was designed to manage network resources and provide file and print services for connected computers. NetWare became popular in business environments for its stability and ability to support multiple users simultaneously. Over the years, NetWare evolved through various versions, introducing features like improved security and support for TCP/IP networking. Although its popularity declined with the rise of Microsoft Windows and other operating systems, NetWare played a significant role in the development of network technologies and set the foundation for modern networking solutions.