_______________________________________________________________ OS/2 WARP FM Transmitting 100% Pure Java Energy _______________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ VOLUME 2 OS/2 WARP FM Sept./Oct. 1998 http://www.software.ibm.com/os/warp/warpfm __________________________________________________________ What's Queued Up? Putting WorkSpace On-Demand on the Line The Web, Java and Warp Server Make a Fantasy Business Real On the Air with Pat Sueltz Genie Forms Express: WARP FM Application of the Month Industry News Press Points Information Briefs Verify 3rd Party OS/2 Device Drivers for Y2K Readiness Putting WorkSpace On-Demand on the Line --------------------------------------- When manufacturing electronic components even the tiniest deviation beyond a process control limit can cause defects that render an entire lot of chips useless. Deploying its process control application with WorkSpace On-Demand allowed Microsemi Corporation Colorado, builder of semiconductors, diodes and silicon controlled rectifiers (SCRs), to triple the number of process control workstations with virtually no capital outlay for client PCs and without incurring additional support costs. Although still too early to cite precise statistics, the Microsemi team expects the increased knowledge of their line to result in higher quality end products as well as increased yields, which in turn improves cycle time and customer service. For a year, Microsemi had been working with a limited number of OS/2 workstations running a process control program to monitor the manufacturing line. WorkSpace On-Demand's centralized client control removed barriers to rolling out additional units. For example, it eliminates the need for a support person to enter a clean room environment for software maintenance and upgrades. It also significantly shortens installation time. The chip manufacturer found that what used to take three to four hours for an OS/2 client -- spread over several days due to the workload of the technical support staff -- only took a half hour for a new WorkSpace On-Demand client. WorkSpace On-Demand also reduces the pressure on the support staff when a system goes down. If a WorkSpace client experiences a hardware failure, it's only a matter of swapping in another thin client to get the system up and running. This in turn reduces the impact of repairs on the line. Mike Krueger, the Programmer/Analyst in charge of the WorkSpace deployment said, "Since clients access all data and application from the server, there's no need for a technician to find a way to get the software from the failed system onto the new hardware." When he first started looking at this solution, Mr. Krueger found WorkSpace On-Demand to be the best of two worlds. He was attracted to the easy-to-use PC-like environment that could be controlled and administered like his company's mini computer system. In the final analysis, it was the reduced cost of ownership that was the biggest factor in deciding to go with this solution. In fact, the company saw reduced costs right away by making use of discarded PCs that had been replaced by newer ones. Microsemi has a reasonably complex environment with a number of servers. In addition to the WorkSpace On-Demand server, the Information Technology (IT) shop uses four Warp Servers all running on low cost single processor systems -- a domain controller and file server, a Lotus Domino server, an application/DB2/2 server and a secondary file server. By the way, WorkSpace On-Demand made it easy for multiple line operators to use the same terminal to access their Lotus Notes. In addition, the environment includes an Enterprise Server that allows WorkSpace clients to access the Windows NT process control application via Warp Server. Based on the initial success of this project Mr. Krueger expects the engineering staff to request more WorkSpace control units on the line. He also foresees his company using this server-managed client architecture in order entry and production control -- areas where a fat client isn't necessary. And just having finished a Java class, Mr. Krueger assumes he will be taking advantage of WorkSpace's Java capabilities in the very near future. For more information on Microsemi, see http://www.microsemi.com. The Web, Java and Warp Server Make a Fantasy Business Real ---------------------------------------------------------- Before the Web became such a pervasive force, only the foolhardy would consider creating a software-based business from scratch and taking it to market in less than a year. Today, five months, practically two web years, is plenty of time to conceive and implement a web service business built around a data feed and a 50000-line application. The broad acceptance of the Internet, a developer-friendly language like Java and a proven platform like Warp Server make it feasible for a group of people with a little working capital and a lot of hard work to birth a business from a good idea. That's exactly what Jay Smith, Shawn Terry, and Brian Oliver did by forming Future Corp. LLC. They created AutoStats, a service that takes advantage of the immediacy of the web to simplify the playing and increase the excitement of fantasy sports. Back in March of this year, Jay Smith, an avid fantasy football fan, saw money-making potential in offering up-to-the-minute statistics as well as software to set up and manage a league through the Internet. Each fantasy league is organized by a commissioner responsible for distributing the results to team owners. These owners have paid a fee for the privilege of drafting players from the National Football League (NFL) to form a team of their own design. The performance of the NFL players in real games determine the weekly standings for the make-believe teams. Although software that calculates and reports team results has been available, commissioners still would spend about eight hours per week entering starting line ups, gathering data, and generating reports. Furthermore, it usually took until Wednesday, three days after most of the games were played, to accumulate and validate the statistics. Using the Internet for AutoStats was a natural. Besides letting team owners access data on their team as the games are played, the Internet eliminates the need to ship shrink-wrap and manage licensing. This not only helped reduce costs for the start up business but considering that the founders only had five months to be ready for the 1998 football season, it gave Future Corp. extra time to produce the software. The Java language also proved a valuable time-saver. Shawn Terry, technical director of Future Corps said, "Using Java we programmed the application in about 80% of the time it would have taken using a native language." He further explained," Typically 20 to 40% of your code is dedicated to tracking and freeing your resources. Java's memory management eliminates that -- both the amount and the complexity." Besides eliminating code that has the potential to lead to bugs and memory leaks, using Java enabled Future Corp. to reach a cross-platform audience without having to write to multiple sets of application programming interfaces (APIs). Furthermore, it was a fairly easy language for developers to learn. The programmer on the team responsible for translating the real-time player statistics from the ESPN data feed into the correct format for manipulation and display was not experienced with Java. Yet he was up to speed in only two weeks. The third key enabling component was Warp Server. The application requires a platform that can handle a large number of small transactions in a relatively short period of time -- several hours on Sundays. Warp Server, with its efficient kernel and stellar record in mission critical roles, filled the bill. Plus it has a low entry cost. The benefits offered by AutoStats -- the more immediate feedback, reduced the workload on league commissioners and centralized communication can make this leisure pursuit feasible for more people. By taking advantage of the Internet, Java and complementary components such as Warp Server, Future Corps has the potential to enlarge the fantasy sports market and create a profitable niche business for itself. And at the same time, unknowingly, this group of entrepreneurs is demonstrating why web technology can be considered the engine of a growing economy. For more information on AutoStats, visit http://www.autostats.com. On the Air with Pat Sueltz -------------------------- As the new general manager for OS/2, I am pleased to have this opportunity to share my thoughts on my new position and the synergy between OS/2 and Java. I am quite excited about adding the OS/2 set of responsibilities to the work I've been doing promoting Java. In fact, I campaigned quite hard to merge the OS/2 and Java business units not only because of the efficiencies within IBM but also to establish a focal point for the melding of the two communities at large. As OS/2 customers, I'm sure you're quite familiar with all the benefits that Java brings to OS/2 -- most notably relieving the scarcity of applications. What may be less obvious is what OS/2 does for Java. Some of the best programmers and software engineers working today write for OS/2 -- either in IBM development labs, in companies that produce commercial OS/2 applications or in enterprises that use OS/2 to support mission critical operations. This group is now turning its attention toward Java in a variety of ways. Sun Microsystems incorporated the Java Virtual Machine (JVM) performance enhancements developed by the IBM OS/2 team into subsequent releases of the JVM. Many OS/2 ISVs -- Kyrus, Athena Design, InnoVal and Nemasoft -- are either adding new Java products to their offerings or creating Java versions of existing products. You, along with the business partners that support those organizations, are the true pioneers, deploying Java applications. Your results are showing the world the real benefits that Java can bring to the enterprise environment. The commitment of world renowned companies like Banco do Brasil gives smaller businesses the confidence they require to venture forth with a new technology. Other OS/2 shops in the banking and finance industry such as CERA Bank and Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) are demonstrating how innovative uses of Java can lead to significant competitive advantages. And of course the products themselves promote Java. Warp Server provides a platform for Java robust enough for mission critical computing. WorkSpace On-Demand, aside from the benefits associated with server-managed clients, offers a smooth, self-paced transition from OS/2 to the Java application model. IBM business partners such as Starfire and Golden Code, who are leading WorkSpace roll out efforts, bring additional momentum to Java with their skills and talents. Just recently I had the pleasure of meeting with a group of OS/2 customers, the German Banking Cooperative. The meeting was pivotal for them because they were excited by the clear road map we had laid out getting them to a network computing environment from where they are today. In that meeting, they saw the promise of Java and clearly understood IBM's ability to support them in their e-business efforts. For me, the meeting validated all that I have been doing with Java for the past two and a half years -- joining forces with other vendors, making sure we are doing things the right way, and with the right intent. I saw first hand from the OS/2 customer perspective how well Java and our network computing strategy can satisfy your concerns and requirements. I look forward to writing this column regularly. If there are any issues that you want me to address, please send me a note at warpfm@us.ibm.com. Genie Forms Express: WARP FM Application of the Month ----------------------------------------------------- As companies transform into e-businesses and the world progressively moves from analog to digital mediums, the need to convert paper to bytes becomes increasingly important. Genie** Forms Express**, OS/2 software from Solution Technology Inc. (STI), puts text and image data from paper documents into computer databases. This corporate imaging and data capture solution that enhances packages such as ImagePlus and VisualInfo is this issue's FM Application of the Month. With the ability to process anywhere from hundreds to tens of thousands of documents a day, Genie can eliminate hours of tedious order entry work. A safety equipment company detects and extracts information from order forms that customers have faxed to a central facsimile machine. Major banks such as First Union of Charlotte use this scaleable software to convert signatures from signature card forms into data that can be processed by on-line teller systems. A number of government and civic organizations are benefiting from Genie. An agency that certifies fire and police departments uses Genie to process monthly surveys. Boards of Election, create computerized signature images by having Genie to scan voter registration cards. After voting takes places, Genie verifies and recaptures signatures by reading poll book pages that contain bar codes, signatures and check boxes back into a computer. One of these boards uses five forms servers and three medium speed scanners to process over 120,000 legal sized pages in less than a week. Typically, Genie customers will see a five to ten-fold increase in data entry productivity. They also generally experience a lower error rate. In essence this imaging solution acts as a work force multiplier, changing the nature of the human component from data entry to data quality control. Yet Genie has an intelligence of its own. It uses a combination of fuzzy logic and a unique semi-neural network, fast-learn architecture to identify from patterns even when they are damaged by stamps or ink smears. STI's technology can still recognize a form's fingerprint with up to 25% distortion. Teaching the software a new form is a snap. Simply load or scan the form, click on "learn" and select the data fields. Genie, which can actually "learn" from a form already filled in, is significantly easier to use than competitive products, which sometimes require the scanning of 50 pristine forms. Genie also brings intelligence to scanning documents with BarCode Anywhere**, a plug-in component that organizes data from scanned pages. Trucking firms use BarCode Anywhere to create way-bills. The software identifies a way-bill number by its barcode. It then creates a complete bill collecting the information by reading in pages until it comes to the next page with a barcode, when it starts a new way-bill. STI is working with a furniture manufacture in North Carolina to develop a process using Genie with Barcode Anywhere for handling barcoded piecework tags for payroll accounting. Nearly 40% of STI's work is enhancing existing products or developing custom software to satisfy unique customer requirements. Many of the requests are to make Genie compliant with a company's legacy environment. The result of a custom job for First Union of Charlotte was an add-on component called the Universal Scanner Simulator (USS)**. Developed using design parts from the Genie development kit, this product recaptures and reindexes large volumes of images into an existing imaging system. A number of county governments are using USS to import and index land record image documents from CD ROMs and tapes produced by service bureaus. Although Genie can currently run stand-alone or distributed over multiple locations via a LAN or TCP/IP connectivity, STI plans to further facilitate e-business by seamlessly connecting distributed electronic form, paper and database processing. This means supporting Genie on multiple platforms and adapting it to a wide variety of corporate applications. The company is also creating a Java front-end for distributed components. Founded in 1981, originally STI was a contract research and development firm doing a lot of work in high performance adaptive software design. Over time this work evolved into unique pattern recognition, which formed the core of both Genie Forms Servers and Barcode Anywhere. For more information on Genie or STI contact Kent Swan or Leon Zetekoff at 1-561-241-3210 or check out the web site at http://www.gate.net/~stidev. Industry News ------------- Business Week: "A New Chapter for Amazon.Com" by Robert D. Hof, 8/17/98 --------------------------------------------------------------- Amazon.com recently purchased two young Internet companies to expand its book and music site into an Internet commerce hub similar to Yahoo! The aim of the elevated site is to attract shoppers as opposed to users that want to just browse and chat. Internet Week: "Sun to Ship New Java Products in November, February" by Richard Karpinski, 814/98, http://pubs.cmpnet.com/internetwk/news/news081498-5.htm ------------------------------------------------------------- Sun announced that it would ship Java Development Kit (JDK) 1.2 in early November, using Windows NT and Sun Solaris as the reference platforms. HotSpot, the Java compiler designed to bring code up to C++ speeds is planned for February, 1999. PC Week Online: "Finance goes full steam with Java" by Bob Francis, 8/10/98 ------------------------------------------------------------------- This article looks at how brokerage firms such as Banker Trust New York Corp. and Charles Schwab & Co are handling the recent turbulence in their industry by programming in Java. According to the story, it's the "promise and ease of development" that is accommodating the fast-paced change in this industry. IDC reports that the financial services industry are in the second tier of Java adopters and quickly moving ahead. InternetWeek: "Let the OLAP Web Browsing Begin", 8/10/98 --------------------------------------------------------- Internet Week notes the recent trend in business analysis tools that mine enterprise data via the Web. In July, a "bevy of vendors" launched data mining products with a browser interface, giving more people access to the right tools for analyzing the mass ive data stored in data warehouses. InternetWeek: "IBM Gives Away the Keys", 8/3/98 ------------------------------------------------ At the Burton Group's Catalyst Conference held in Colorado Springs, IBM announced it would give away the source code for creating a public-key infrastructure. InternetWeek postulated that this could be "the spark" that would initiate widespread testing of the emerging standard. CNET: "Northwestern University teams with IBM for Net research center" 7/15/98 -------------------------------------------------------------- IBM and Northwestern University in Chicago are creating a Internet technology research center, with the goal of improving the existing Internet. Ameritech, Cisco Systems and others are also involved in this project set to open later this year. Press Points ------------ InfoWorld Electric: "JavaOS for Business arrives from Sun, IBM" by Ted Smalley Bowen and Dana Gardner ------------------------------------------------------------------- This article is one of many that heralded the arrival of JavaOS for Business, jointly developed by Sun Microsystems and IBM. This multi-platform system optimized for enterprise computing includes development tools, an OEM adaptation kit, device drivers, server-side management software as well as testing and certification programs. Initially offered on Intel-based, x86 hardware, the operating system will support Sun's JavaStation and IBM's Network Station early next year. Network News (UK): "IBM focuses OS/2 on NT compatibility", 7/98 --------------------------------------------------------------- This article looks at IBM's next release of OS/2 Warp Server, code-named Aurora. It touted the operating system's planned capabilities to manage user accounts and passwords as well as to assign users to both NT and OS/2 groups using either a drag-and-drop or command line interface. The co-existence between the two platforms will allow users to have access to both NT and OS/2 resources with a single logon. Information Briefs ------------------ CT Users' Council Planned for Mid-September ------------------------------------------- IBM invites all Consumer Transaction (CT) customers to its second annual CT Users' Council, scheduled for September 14 - 16, 1998 at The Part Hotel in Charlotte, North Carolina. In addition to presentations by customers on process efficiency, migration and complex multi-system environments, attendees can learn about IBM's branch strategy as well as future CT features and functions. For more information, see http://houns51.clearlake.ibm.com/Finance/DeliverySolutions/ds.nsf/CTUserReg or contact IBM's Susan Morse at 1-704-594-5260 or samorse@us.ibm.com. Warpstock '98 Conference ------------------------ The second annual Warpstock, a community event conceived to benefit OS/2 users, developers and other technical support people is scheduled for October 17 - 18, 1998. Last year, this OS/2 information exchange and showcase drew hundreds of attendees from North and South America, Europe and Australia. For complete details, visit the Warpstock home page at http://www.warpstock.org. Aurora Beta Registration ------------------------ IBM has begun registering businesses for the Aurora beta program at http://www.software.ibm.com/os/warp/aurora/index.html. A preview package will be available on a limited basis to customers not selected for the official program. IBM plans to ship the product in October. Year 2000 Web Site for OS/2 and DOS products -------------------------------------------- IBM has gathered and published the necessary information to determine whether installed OS/2 and DOS products are Year 2000 ready at: http://www.software.ibm.com/os/warp/solutions/and/y2000/year2000.html. The site describes migration alternatives and offers FixPak downloads. BarCode Anywhere** qualified for OS/2 input filters ---------------------------------------------------- Solution Technology (STI) has qualified their high performance BarCode Anywhere(TM) for OS/2(R) input filters under ImagePlus(R) VisualInfo(TM) Version 2.3.1 as well as the ImagePlus Workstation Program Version 2.1.0. Previously, BarCode Anywhere was qualified under the ImagePlus Workstation Program Version 1.2.x. New OS/2 Warp Videoconferencing solution from Zydacron ------------------------------------------------------ Zydacron has introduced a new videoconferencing solution for OS/2 Warp that provides professional, high quality, standards-based communication to suitably equipped PCs. Systems can be connected over ISDN, Token-Ring, ethernet, or other networks. This solution should also be adaptable to WorkSpace On-Demand, for interactive videoconferencing in the network computing world. For more information please visit Zydacron on the Internet at: http://www.zydacron.com/mainsite/onwan250os2.htm. Verify 3rd Party OS/2 Device Drivers for Y2K Readiness ------------------------------------------------------ As a convenience to OS/2 customers, IBM delivers both IBM and third-party device drivers in the OS/2 Device Driver Pak Online. Although IBM has verified that the IBM-developed device drivers delivered in the Online Pak are Year 2000 ready, IBM does not warrant the device drivers provided by third parties and cannot vouch for their Year 2000 readiness. Where practical, IBM is contacting third parties asking them to provide Year 2000 information on their drivers. This information, updated periodically, is available on the OS/2 Device Driver Pak Online web page: http://service.software.ibm.com/os2ddpak/ Users can confirm the Year 2000 readiness status of hardware and device driver system configuration with the following steps. - Review the Year 2000 ready status on the OS/2 Device Driver Pak Online web page for each driver in use. - Even though a device driver may have been tested and found to be Year 2000 ready, the BIOS or firmware on the device or in the system may cause Year 2000 problems within specific configurations. Therefore IBM recommends configuration-specific testing for Year 2000 readiness. - If needed, contact the manufacturer(s) of the device(s) supported by the device driver for Year 2000 readiness information. Back Issues of OS/2 WARP FM are available on-line at http:// www.software.ibm.com/os/warp/warpfm. For more information on the OS/2 Family of products see: http://www.software.ibm.com/os/warp. Check out other Network Computing Software Division Publications -- Subscribe to Java Update at http://www.software.ibm.com/mailing-lists/java-update. Visit the on-line edition of the eNetwork Connection newsletter at:http://www.networking.ibm.com/cover/cover.htm. * Indicates trademark or registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation. ** Indicates trademark or registered trademark of respective companies. Copyright IBM Corporation 1998 All Rights Reserved _______________________________________________________________ Thank you for your interest in OS/2 WARP FM To unsubscribe send the following 1-line message to: majordomo@mail.software.ibm.com unsubscribe warpfm For additional information visit the OS/2 Warp Home Page at: http://www.software.ibm.com/os2warp/ _______________________________________________________________