[comp.newprod] Sun Microsystems PC-NFS 3.5 announced

geoff@hinode.East.Sun.COM (Geoff Arnold) (03/06/91)

[The following is the text of the press release for PC-NFS 3.5..
Real technical questions should be directed to geoff@east.sun.com.]

       PC-NFS ENHANCEMENTS FROM SUN FURTHER THE INTEGRATION
         OF PCs WITH OTHER SYSTEMS ON THE NETWORK

         Helps PC Users Preserve Existing Investment
      While Getting Benefits of Client/Server Environment

WASHINGTON, D.C. March 5, 1991:  Sun Microsystems today unveiled
enhancements to its PC-NFS(R) networking product family that further
integrate PCs into enterprise-wide networks of UNIX(R) workstations,
minicomputers, mainframes and other network resources. With these
products, PC users can expand their access to information located on
diverse systems while still staying in their familiar DOS and Windows
3.0 environment. Introduced were new releases of PC-NFS and a companion
product, PC-NFS LifeLineTM Mail and Backup. In addition, Sun rolled out
PC-NFS Advanced Telnet, a new terminal emulation product that gives PCs
greater access to applications on mainframes and minicomputers.

The comprehensive PC-NFS family is the industry leader in its field.
This product line includes solutions for file and printer sharing,
electronic mail, terminal emulation and the creation of distributed
applications through a developer's toolkit. PC-NFS is based on Sun's
ONC/NFS, an industry standard in multi-vendor networks, with an
installed base of 1.3 million systems. This gives PCs equipped with
PC-NFS access to any system that utilizes ONC/NFS.

The enhancements to the PC-NFS product line demonstrate Sun's growing
focus on bringing the many benefits of UNIX client/server computing to
DOS PCs. "Networked systems -- particularly those using UNIX -- are the
industry's biggest growth segment by far," said Cheryl Vedoe, vice
president of software product marketing at Sun. "With PC-NFS, PC users,
network managers and application developers can share in this client/
server world without losing their existing investment."

PC-NFS Boosts Windows 3.0 Support

Sun's new release, PC-NFS 3.5, is compatible with MS Windows 3.0. This
enables users to access information, interact with the network and
perform the many other tasks made possible with PC-NFS within the
familiar, easy-to-use Windows environment. In addition, this latest
release gives users greater productivity through added support of
industry standards.

For example, networked PCs can now be monitored along with UNIX
workstations and other systems on the network because of support for
SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol). Many network management
products such as SunNetTM Manager are based on this protocol. PC-NFS
3.5 also supports the 3Com/Microsoft NDIS (Network Driver Interface
Specification). As a result, almost every vendor's Ethernet board --
which is installed in the PC and necessary for PC-NFS connectivity --
can be used.

This new release makes possible greater sharing of network resources by
allowing simultaneous access of up to 14 network devices, such as
printers and storage systems. In addition, network users can now access
PC printers, in addition to the printers attached to ONC/NFS servers.

Expanded E-Mail Capabilities

PC users now have many of the electronic mail functions normally found
in larger systems as a result of PC-NFS LifeLine Mail and Backup 2.0.
This add-on application has always supported industry standards such as
POP (Post Office Protocol) and SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol),
which give users wide access to other popular third-party e-mail
services. The new release now supports the 8-bit ASCII format, allowing
users to communicate easily with international locations.

In addition, PC-NFS LifeLine now permits notification of incoming mail
through a new configuration feature and lets users send several files
attached to a single mail message. It also has a new automated DOS-
based scheduler that performs time-consuming tasks like disk backup in
off hours.

Access to Mainframes and Minis Via Terminal Emulation

A new add-on application, PC-NFS Advanced Telnet, was co-developed by
Sun and Walker Richer & Quinn, the leading supplier of PC-based
terminal emulation products. Based on its popular REFLECTION(R) series,
this new product expands the existing VT 100 terminal emulation
capabilities of PC-NFS. Advanced Telnet lets users access IBM
mainframe, DEC VAX and Tektronix applications on non-ONC hosts by
emulating popular terminals such as the TN 3270, VT 320 and Tektronix
4014. In addition, the product is compatible with Windows 3.0.

Advanced Telnet has a range of sophisticated features that deliver
fast, accurate emulation, such as the ability to manage up to three
host sessions simultaneously and switch between PC and host sessions
with a single keystroke. The product also lets users customize their
keyboard to match the requirements of specific hosts and applications.
In addition, it offers international transfer of characters through
support for 8-bit data streams.

PC-NFS is Comprehensive Environment

The PC-NFS family is a comprehensive solution for integrating PCs into
multi-vendor networks of diverse systems. It gives PC users a range of
services and capabilities that are usually reserved for more powerful
networked systems. An important component is the PC-NFS developer's
toolkit, for creating distributed applications in which various parts
of an application are performed by different systems. For example,
using the PC's familiar interface, workgroups can access a distributed
financial database residing on a workstation. PC-NFS LifeLine and
PC-NFS Advanced Telnet were both developed with the toolkit.

PC-NFS 3.5 is available now and priced at $395 per copy. A site-wide
upgrade package is available for existing PC-NFS users. PC-NFS LifeLine
Mail and Backup 2.0 is priced at $125 and will be available April 30.
PC-NFS Advanced Telnet now costs $180 -- a 20 percent discount -- as
part of a special introductory offer (ending July 30) and will be
available April 1. All prices include documentation. Quantity pricing
is available.

All PC-NFS products can be ordered through Sun's telemarketing service
by calling 1-800-USA-4SUN (1-800-872-4786) in the United States.
Customers will receive their order within five days. PC-NFS is also
available worldwide through any Sun sales office or distributor.

Sun Microsystems, Inc., headquartered in Mountain View, Calif., is a
leading worldwide supplier of network-based distributed computing
systems, including professional workstations, servers and UNIX
operating system and productivity software.

###
PC-NFS and NFS are registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc.
ONC, LifeLine and SunNet are trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. UNIX
is a registered trademark of UNIX System Laboratories, Inc. REFLECTION
is a registered trademark of Walker Richer & Quinn, Inc. All other
products mentioned herein are identified by the trademarks as
designated by the companies who market those products. Inquiries
concerning such trademarks should be made directly to those companies.
-- 
Geoff Arnold, PC-NFS architect, Sun Microsystems. (geoff@East.Sun.COM)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--     Sun Microsystems PC Distributed Systems ...                          --
--            ... soon to be a part of SunTech (stay tuned for details)     --