REDMOND, Wash., Jan. 23, 1996 — Attachmate Corp. and Microsoft Corp. today announced the Ultimate SNA Server Starter Pak, which provides users with cost-effective client-server connectivity to IBM® mainframe applications and data from desktops running the Microsoft® Windows® , Windows®
95 and Windows NT
™Workstation operating systems. The Ultimate SNA Server Starter Pak is making its debut in the United States, distributed by Ingram Micro Inc., a leading distributor of Microsoft and Attachmate® products. The Starter Pak is composed of the award-winning Microsoft SNA Server, five client-access licenses for SNA Server and five copies of Attachmate’s award-winning Extra!®
client for SNA Server. Ingram Micro’s resellers will be able to offer this solution to customers at approximately half the combined price of the separate components. The Ultimate SNA Server Starter Pak is available now. The price of the Starter Pak is approximately $1,339, and approximately $186 for each additional client-access license. The Starter Pak is available for an introductory price of approximately $734 through March 31, 1996. A version of the Starter Pak will be available in Europe starting in February.
The Ultimate SNA Server Starter Pak will provide flexible networking services for branch offices within SNA open gateway architecture (SOGA), a comprehensive framework for enterprise deployment of SNA gateways recently announced by Microsoft. In addition to SNA Server and Attachmate clients, the European version of the Ultimate SNA Server Starter Pak will include a WAN adapter from Cirel. The combination will help customers make a smooth transition from traditional SNA networks to TCP/IP networks while maintaining mission-critical access to IBM host resources.
“Our customers have been asking for more integrated solutions so they can reduce their role as the ultimate software integrator,”
said Vesa Suomalainen, general manager of the SNA Server product unit at Microsoft.
“Our close cooperation with Attachmate enabled the creation of the Ultimate SNA Server Starter Pak, which addresses this need and is supported by both companies.”
”
Attachmate’s industry-leading information-access solutions have been designed specifically to exploit the capabilities of Microsoft Office, Microsoft BackOffice
™and SNA Server,”
said Matt Highsmith, vice president of corporate marketing at Attachmate.
“By working with Microsoft worldwide, customers can now easily obtain the industry’s most advanced, integrated connectivity solution, backed by the most comprehensive support available.”
“As a leading distributor of Microsoft SNA Server, we want to make it easier for our resellers to serve the growing demand for SNA Server and Attachmate products,”
said Lori Snow, director of technical products at Ingram Micro.
“The Ultimate SNA Server Starter Pak should be an exciting offering for organizations seeking the best products on the market.”
Last August, Digital Equipment Corp. and Microsoft announced a major alliance, designed to help customers implement and support Windows NT-based computing in the enterprise. Because both Windows NT Server and SNA Server support Digital’s Alpha AXP
™
technology, the Ultimate SNA Server Starter Pak is also Alpha AXP-compatible.
“Digital endorses the unique solutions being created by Attachmate and Microsoft,”
said Mike Gallup, vice president of worldwide marketing at Digital.
“The Ultimate SNA Server Starter Pak is the perfect complement to our AlphaServer platform.”
As a major part of their focus, New Technology Partners, one of Microsoft’s leading Solution Providers, works closely with large client organizations to whom host connectivity is critical.
“Because of its superior capabilities, many of our customers already use the combination of Attachmate’s client software with Microsoft’s SNA Server,”
said Bruce Backa, president of New Technology Partners.
“We believe that Attachmate clients and Microsoft servers provide the best client-server combinations. We are delighted to see this offer because it will make it much easier for our clients to acquire and implement this solution.”
Using advanced client-server architecture, Microsoft SNA Server offloads the communications processing from host computers and desktop PCs. Each PC uses standard LAN protocols, such as TCP/IP, IPX/SPX, NetBEUI, Banyan® VINES® or AppleTalk® to connect to one or more SNA servers. The SNA servers then connect to IBM mainframes and AS/400®
systems using SNA protocols. SNA Server supports up to 2,000 clients and 10,000 host sessions and offers advanced tools for easy system setup and centralized graphical administration. It supports every important PC and network operating system, LAN, SNA host connection, and host type. Client computers and administrator workstations can connect to SNA Servers across LAN and WAN bridges and routers and over dial-up lines. A key component of the Microsoft BackOffice family of products, SNA Server takes advantage of the Windows NT Server operating system to deliver the power, scalability and security of this robust foundation. Combined with the industry-standard SNA APIs, this foundation makes SNA Server the most flexible platform for integrating PC and host environments.
Optimized for Microsoft SNA Server, Extra! supports SNA Server’s native client-server API. Extra! provides a cost-effective solution, allowing users in a Windows NT Server-based environment to use existing network transports supported by SNA Server. Extra!, in conjunction with SNA Server, provides the ideal way to migrate from SNA to TCP/IP. The Ultimate SNA Server Starter Pak supports full SNA printing as well as delivery of host graphics over TCP/IP. All of SNA Server’s advanced features, such as hot backup and load balancing, are also supported. Extra! also includes built-in expert controls that dynamically add expertise to mainframe applications via Extra! Basic, a Microsoft Visual Basic® programming system-compliant scripting language. It also includes an advanced set of development APIs, including Microsoft’s WinHLLAPI, which work natively with Visual Basic and the Visual C++®
development system for creation of re-engineered client-host applications.
Attachmate is the leading supplier of universal information-access software that helps organizations create sophisticated intranets, allowing desktop or remote users to transparently access, manipulate and exchange any business information, whether it resides within the enterprise or on the Internet. Backed by one of the industry’s highest levels of direct customer service and support in more than 30 countries worldwide, Attachmate provides high-quality client, server, and authoring tool software and services that provide real-life business solutions to a company’s everyday information-access problems.
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.
Microsoft, Windows, Windows NT, BackOffice, Visual Basic and Visual C++ are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
Attachmate and Extra! are registered trademarks of Attachmate Corp.
IBM and AS/400 are registered trademarks of International Business Machines Corp.
Alpha AXP is a trademark of Digital Equipment Corp.
Banyan and VINES are registered trademarks of Banyan Systems Inc.
AppleTalk is a registered trademark of Apple Computer Inc.
Note to editors: If you are interested in viewing additional information on Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft home page at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass. To receive Microsoft press releases by fax, please call (800) 859-5915 in the United States or (201) 333-0314 internationally.
For more information about Attachmate products, contact Attachmate’s headquarters in Bellevue, Wash., at (206) 644-4010 or toll-free at (800) 426-6283. Attachmate’s World Wide Web address is http://www.attachmate.com.
