Issue No. 55
A. SPARC INTERNATIONAL WELCOMES LINKON CORPORATION
B. ATTEND THE FOURTH ANNUAL LINUX EXPO CONFERENCE
C. OPEN CONCEPT INTERNATIONAL RELEASES OPENQUOTE, THE PREMIERE JAVA QUOTATION PACKAGE
D. nSTOR SHOWCASES FIBRE CHANNEL PRODUCTS AT NAB
E. nSTOR SIGNS DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT WITH PTG, INC.
F. SUN REORGANIZES BUSINESS STRUCTURE
H. DATABASE OF RED HAT TECHNICAL SUPPORT PROVIDERS IS NOW ONLINE
II. SPARC® COMPLIANT ADDITIONS, DELETIONS AND PRODUCTS IN PROCESS
I. A. – SPARC® INTERNATIONAL WELCOMES LINKON CORPORATION
Fairfield, CT–April 13,1998– Linkon Corporation joined SPARC International as a VAR member. Linkon designs, manufactures and markets integrated hardware and software products that process voice, data, and image signals for the computer, telecommunications, and Internet industries. The Maestro System(TM) with true “universal port” capability offers call processing, fax, modem, voice compression, speech recognition, and speech synthesis all in a single computer slot. Linkon is the leading producer of open, universal port digital signal processing (DSP) boards for Sun Microsystems(TM).
I. B. – ATTEND THE FOURTH ANNUAL LINUX EXPO CONFERENCE
Research Triangle Park, NC–March 23 1998–The Linux Operating System is making waves in the news. Get ready for the largest gathering of the best and brightest minds in the computer world–all there to discuss Linux! For three business-centered and technology-packed days, May 28-30, the fourth annual Linux Expo, sponsered by SPARC International member, RED Hat Software and other firms, will take over Duke University in Durham, NC.
Make plans now to visit the record number of Expo exhibitors showing the latest in Linux-based hardware, software, and service solutions. And stop in on the business and technical discussions to hear talks by some of the most important names in technology today including Linus Torvalds, the original developer of the Linux kernal and the Expo’s keynote speaker. The Linux Expo has something for everyone. In addition to the hardware, software, component and applications vendors, the Linux Expo will also have a Quake Fest, Games Forum, Editor Wars, and an Email Garden. Tutorial sessions with top Linux developers will also prove to be a large draw at the Expo.
For more information about the Linux Expo or to register for the events of the Expo, please see www.linuxexpo.org or call + 919-547-0028.
I. C. – OPEN CONCEPT INTERNATIONAL RELEASES OPENQUOTE, THE PREMIERE JAVA QUOTATION PACKAGE
Edmonton, Alberta–March 30, 1998– Open Concept International releases openQuote, the Premiere Java quotation package. No more lost paperwork, duplicated quotes or wasted time. The versatility of this program allows corporate sales forces to reduce the amount of time spent on generating, filing, and searching for paper quotations. Finding quotations for callback, updates or ordering is as easy as clicking the mouse. Duplicated, lost or misplaced quotations are a thing of the past.
Behind the friendly graphical user interface is a powerful centralized SQL database. Quotations are stored in one location that can be accessed by authorized users via local ethernet or remotely via the World Wide Web. The database is password protected against unauthorized users. Access to administrative functions is set in the user administration module. Your data is kept safe and secure, yet quickly available to those who need access to it.
Use on any computer – Windows (95 or NT) PC, Javastation, Solaris, MAC OS, AIX, Ultrix.
To make this program truly useful, there are many ways to deliver your quotations. Professional PostScript output forms are created with your company information and logo. Email output in both text and HTML or FAX directly to you customers.
Open Concept International, Inc. is a supplier of computer hardware, software, and peripherals. OCI specializes in advanced server products, networking and internetworking solutions in a client-server environment. OCI is an authorized value-added reseller of products manufactured by Sun Microsystems.
For more information visit Open Concept web site at www.ocii.com. Open Concept International, Inc, 3324 Parsons Road, Edmonton, Alberta, T6N 1B5, Canada. Phone: + 403 434-2363, fax: + 403 438-2941.
I. D- nSTOR SHOWCASES FIBRE CHANNEL PRODUCTS AT NAB
Lake Mary, FL–April 3, 1998– nStor(TM) Corporation, Inc., (AMEX: NSO), a leading manufacturer of RAID subsystem and information storage solutions, showcased their new Fibre Channel storage solutions at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) show in Las Vegas, April 6-9, 1998. nStor displayed their recently announced CR8F and CR18F Fibre Channel subsystem enclosures in the Fibre Channel Loop Community (FCLC) booth, located in the Sands Convention Center.
“The addition of Fibre Channel products provides nStor customers with a complete array of storage solutions to offer network administrators the maximum bandwidth, availability, scalability and connectivity they need to meet their storage objectives, regardless of operating system platform or storage technology,” said Steven Paulhus, director of marketing for nStor Corporation. “Both enclosures offer users a level of I/O performance commensurate with the processing power found in networked and clustered server environments, making them ideal for multimedia, video, web, and online transaction processing environments.”
I. E- nSTOR SIGNS DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT WITH PTG, INC.
Lake Mary, FL–April 20, 1998– nStor(TM) Corporation, Inc., a leading manufacturer of high availability, high performance RAID and information storage solutions, today announced the signing of a distribution agreement with Peripheral Technology Group, Inc., (PTG), an international distributor that specializes in providing enterprise networking technology solutions. PTG is located in Chanhassen, Minnesota.
“PTG has a well-earned reputation for being a premier technical distributor in North America who specializes in providing “solution-oriented” sales,” said Craig Ringuette, vice president of worldwide sales for nStor Corporation. “Their unique sales approach, as well as their ability to successfully develop and market leading-edge storage management products will enable them to play a significant role in nStor’s strategic distribution plans.”
I. F- SUN REORGANIZES BUSINESS STRUCTURE
Mountain View, CA–April 22, 1998– Sun Microsystems yesterday detailed a reorganization of its famous independent operating companies into divisional units. Sun executives claim the reorganization, which includes the creation of two new divisions, will better coordinate product development, customer service, and other operations.
“In the past, we had people from several divisions calling on a customer, and it seemed like several companies were calling,” says John Loiacono, Sun’s VP of brand marketing. Now, “one sales force will call on a customer.” The same concept will be brought to other areas of the company, Loiacono adds, such as product development.
Sun has turned SunSoft into the Solaris software division, headed by president John McFarlane, and JavaSoft into the Java software division, headed by Alan Baratz. Masood Jabbar now heads the computer systems division, Mel Friedman leads the microelectronics division, and Lawrence Hambly is in charge of the customer-services division. Division heads will continue to report to chief operating officer Ed Zander, who took over that post in January. Chief technology officer Greg Papadopoulos also reports to Zander.
The two new divisions will be networked storage and consumer/embedded products. The former, headed by Janpieter Scheerder, will concentrate on providing customers with hardware and software for mass storage. The latter, headed by Mark Tolliver, will focus on the software and core Java technology in network-based consumer applications such as set-top boxes, automobiles, and telephones.
I. G – nSTOR ACQUIRES BORG ADAPTIVE TECHNOLOGIES, INC. ACQUISITION PAVES THE WAY FOR NEXT GENERATION RAID PRODUCTS
Lake Mary, FL–April 23, 1998 — nStor(TM) Corporation, Inc., a leading manufacturer of RAID and information storage solutions, today announced it has strengthened its disk array product offerings with the acquisition of Borg Adaptive Technologies, Inc. Located in Boulder, Colorado, Borg Adaptive Technologies is the developer of Adaptive (RAID, a patented next-generation RAID technology that offers complete fault tolerance and data protection, along with the highest performance possible by dynamically determining the optimal RAID level and eliminating write penalties. The real power of Adaptive RAID is its ability to improve disk array performance while simplifying RAID administration and setup.
R. Daniel Smith, president and CEO of nStor Corporation commented, “With this acquisition, nStor continues to position itself as a dominant player and leading-edge technology provider in the RAID marketplace. This technology is not only powerful, but very flexible in terms of implementation. We are actively pursuing a variety of implementations utilizing this new technology, including single and shared server storage applications, storage area networking (SAN) and network attached storage (NAS) solutions.”
nStor also announced the formation of a new engineering facility, based in Boulder, Colorado. The Boulder Development Center (BDC) will oversee the design and implementation of nStor’s line of next-generation RAID products utilizing this new technology. The BDC facility will operate under the leadership of David Stallmo, former president of Borg Adaptive Technologies.
For more information visit nStor’s web site at www.nstor.com. nStor, 450 Technology Park, Lake Mary, Florida 32746. Phone: +800 724-3411, fax: +407 829-3638, email: sales@nstor.com.
I. H- DATABASE OF RED HAT TECHNICAL SUPPORT PROVIDERS IS NOW ONLINE
Research Triangle Park, NC–April 28, 1998–Red Hat Software, Inc., publisher of the award-winning Red Hat Linux Operating System, today announced that a searchable online database for its global commercial Support Program is now up and running. Available at <www.redhat.com/commercial-support/> this website helps you sort through a worldwide network of authorized commercial Support Partners that currently spans three continents so that your support needs are best met.
Said Robert Hart, Manager of Support Services, Red Hat Software, “Telephone technical support is extremely important to us. Red Hat Linux is a secure, stable and high performance operating system, and organizations who run their mission critical operations on Red Hat Linux want assurance that Red Hat Software stands behind them. And our global Support Network allows us to this 100%.”
For more information on Red Hat Linux commercial support options, please see www.redhat.com/commercial-support or email: com-supp@redhat.com.
Linux is the freely distributable, cooperatively-developed POSIX-based, multi-user, multi-tasking operating system used worldwide. Linux is used as a high value, fully-functional UNIX workstation for applications ranging from Internet Servers to reliable work group computing.
For more information about Red Hat Software and Red Hat products and technologies, please call 1-919-547-0012 or visit our web site at www.redhat.com. Reviews encouraged.
I. I – SUN SHAKES UP MIDRANGE SERVER MARKET
Palo Alto, CA–April 29, 1998— Sun Microsystems, Inc. today announced its new midrange enterprise server line up — the Sun(TM) Enterprise(TM) 3500, 4500, 5500 and 6500 servers — aimed at a range of applications, including enterprise resource planning (ERP), datawarehousing, decision support, internets/intranets, customer management systems, high-performance computing (HPC) and more. The new server line uses the 336 MHz UltraSPARC(TM) processor, and offers up to 43 percent better performance than Sun’s midrange servers did only a few months ago, according to SPECint_rate95 results. Further, they are the first midrange servers with DR and AP features for online repair and configuration of system resources and I/O, which minimizes system downtime. With the exception of Sun’s high-end Starfire(TM) servers, mainframes, and some proprietary fault-tolerant systems — which can cost many times more than one of the new Sun Enterprise systems — no other server vendor offers these advanced availability features. In fact, high-availability features on current-generation Sun(TM) servers have enabled Sun to experience 99.99 percent uptime on its own corporate network since 1996.
The new Sun Enterprise systems scale from one to 30 processors in a single SMP server, offering customers industry-leading scalability and performance. The new servers provide exceptional performance via 336 MHz UltraSPARC(TM) II processors and Sun’s 84 MHz to 100 MHz interconnect called the Sun Gigaplane(TM) system bus.
The Sun Enterprise 3500 system offers up to eight CPUs in a single SMP server. The server offers 33 percent more power than the Sun Enterprise 3000 server it replaces, yet maintains the same footprint. Sun’s entry-level server for the midrange offers internal fibre channel disk drives with dual port connections leading to higher I/O performance and availability.
The Sun Enterprise 4500 server is the line’s most compact package for those with space concerns, with eight system slots providing capacity for up to 14 CPUs in a flexible package. The Sun Enterprise 5500 has the same capacities, but in a datacenter-compatible cabinet. The new server line is anchored at the high end by the Sun Enterprise 6500 server, which offers up to 30 CPUs and 16 system slots. Both the Sun Enterprise 5500 and 6500 systems come in 68-inch cabinets, supporting up to half a terabyte of internal Sun(TM) StorEdge(TM) A5000 dual fibre channel arrays, together with a tape library all in a single footprint. Both save on expensive datacenter real estate.
Like the Sun Enterprise 3000 to 6000 server family, the new servers share many common components among each other and among the earlier systems, providing customers with a high level of investment protection. The new Sun Enterprise server family also supports both S-Bus and PCI-bus I/O products. The new Sun Enterprise 3500 to 6500 servers are available immediately. The DR and AP features for I/O will be available in June, and the DR feature for CPUs will be available later this year. The price for an entry-level Sun Enterprise 3500 system with two 250-MHz UltraSPARC II CPUs, 256 MB of memory, 9.1 GB of disk and a CD-ROM is U.S.$49,700.
About Sun Microsystems, Inc. Since its inception in 1982, a singular vision, “The Network Is The Computer(TM),” has propelled Sun Microsystems, Inc. (NASDAQ: SUNW), to its position as a leading provider of high quality hardware, software and services for establishing enterprise-wide intranets and expanding the power of the Internet. With more than $9 billion in annual revenues, Sun can be found in more than 150 countries and on the World Wide Web at http://sun.com.
II. SPARC® COMPLIANT ADDITIONS, DELETIONS AND PRODUCTS IN PROCESS
Note Additional information, including a complete listing of SPARC® Compliant products, is available on the Internet via the World Wide Web. Access www.sparc.org or send email to info@sparc.org.
The SPARC® Compliant brand, awarded by SPARC® International, assures end users that systems so branded will work with any other product branded to the same level of the “SPARC Compliant Definition (SCD).” This list, updated monthly, includes changes made to the master list of SPARC® Compliant products. To view the master list, please access our web site at www.sparc.org or send email to info@sparc.org.
ADDITIONS (System Products)
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Please Note “*C” indicates “Conditional SPARC® Compliance”. This means that certain waivers have been temporarily granted. A list of these waivers can be obtained upon request to the above named companies. Waivers must be resolved prior to the expiration dates shown by the declared Certification date.
SYSTEMS IN PROCESS
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ADDITIONS (Semiconductor Products) None at this time.
DELETIONS None at this time.
SEMI-CONDUCTOR IN PROCESS
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NOTE At times, unannounced systems (“in process” or “certified”) may not be included in this report at the request of the vendor.
SPARC-related documents are available through SPARC International’s bookstore, SPARCSHOP. Access to SPARCSHOP is available several ways,
- email sparcshop@sparc.org
- phone us at 1-408-748-9111 x240
Currently available
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– Managing Editor –
Cheryl Hostetler
Direct Inquiries To – sparc-flash-request@sparc.org
SPARC International promotes the design, development and application of SPARC to computer and peripheral products; establishes hardware and software standards; enables compatibility across SPARC-branded products; and provides, promotes and protects SPARC and SPARC-related brand names.
SPARC International has verified to the best of its ability all of the product information contained in this newsletter. Information in this newsletter has been provided by the vendors. SPARC International has not reviewed claims made about product features or functions, and is not responsible for the accuracy of such claims. Users may want to obtain references, documentation, and/or demonstrations before purchasing any products or services. No vendor is authorized to act as an agent of SPARC International, or to make any representations or warranties on SPARC International’s behalf.
The following are Registered® Trademarks of SPARC International, Inc.:
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Other Trademarks that are in use or Pending Registration include:
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Products bearing SPARC trademarks are based on an architecture developed by Sun Microsystems, Inc. UNIX is a registered trademark in the United States and other countries, licensed exclusively through X/Open Company, Ltd. All other product names, trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.