From: Darren_Smith@NeXT.COM (Darren Smith) Subject: NEXTSTEP AND PDO PROVIDE CUSTOMERS WITH TRUE CLIENT/SERVER OBJECT MODEL Date: 25 Jun 1994 13:50:04 -0400 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Karen Logsdon NeXT Computer, Inc. 415/780-3786 or Charlotte Penner Copithorne & Bellows 415-975-2225 NEXTSTEP AND PDO PROVIDE CUSTOMERS WITH TRUE CLIENT/SERVER OBJECT MODEL SAN FRANCISCO - June 21, 1994 - PDO Release 2.0, NeXT's portable version of its Distributed Objects Framework, is currently in beta for the most popular UNIX server operating systems from HP and Sun, and will be in beta for Digital servers by the end of this year. The company also announced that NeXT's NetInfo Editions for Servers, which enables distributed network-wide system administration, is available for these same popular UNIX operating systems. PDO provides a heterogeneous client/server framework based on objects by extending NEXTSTEP's dynamic and distributed object model to UNIX server environments. With PDO, objects, whether local or remote, are accessed in identical fashion, providing transparent access to distributed application processing. This enables application developers to take advantage of networked resources without adding complexity to the overall application design and implementation. "Because PDO uses the same distributed object messaging architecture, it allows us to take advantage of our client/server architecture by off-loading compute intensive processes to the computers best suited for the task," said Matt Peron, assistant vice president at The First National Bank of Chicago. "In our business where time is money, PDO is definitely a competitive advantage." Enhanced features incorporated into PDO 2.0 To give developers more language choice, NeXT is integrating C++ support into the existing Objective C compiler in PDO 2.0. The integrated compiler allows developers to merge Objective C, C++ and ANSI C code into one application. Additionally, NeXT is adding a NEXTSTEP-compatible make facility to PDO, based on the GNU make program, allowing one set of makefiles to be used for building objects on clients and servers. This feature also provides better integration with NEXTSTEP's ProjectBuilder, making it easier to maintain PDO applications. Distributed objects benefit enterprise computing NEXTSTEP's Distributed Object Framework allows the same transparent messaging to occur between objects residing in different applications, whether the applications are running on the same machine or across the network. This messaging architecture allows greater flexibility of software design by providing a framework for applications to share common objects throughout a networked environment. By facilitating the sharing of objects between applications, developers benefit from less duplication of code and less effort in designing enterprise application solutions. "With PDO, we gain all of the benefits of object-oriented programming, including writing fewer lines of code in development, higher reusability of software and greater maintainability and reliability of software systems, plus we gain the performance, centrality of data, and other features of high powered enterprise servers," said Vince Jordan, vice president of technology for SHL Systemhouse. "That's compelling to a business that relies on compute intensive processes to increase its business." Today, PDO provides interoperability between NEXTSTEP clients and server environments. In the future, PDO will allow interoperability between NEXTSTEP and emerging distributed computing standards, such as OMG's CORBA (Common Object Request Broker). PDO provides access to legacy software Using PDO, customers can preserve their investment in legacy software running in existing server environments by providing PDO objects as front-end gateways. For example, applications developed in NEXTSTEP can gain access to information being provided by a legacy real-time data feed on the server as though it was a local NEXTSTEP object. Pricing and Availability PDO 1.0 is currently shipping for HP-UX. PDO Release 2.0 will be shipping for HP-UX 9.0, Sun OS 4.1.3 and the Solaris 2.3 operating systems in August of this year, followed by DEC OSF/1 at the end of the year. Pricing for PDO is based on vendor's server types and ranges from $2,500 to $10,000 per server, including the development tools and server software. NetInfo NetInfo Editions for Servers simplifies administration of a network comprised of NEXTSTEP and other UNIX operating systems. NetInfo, bundled with NEXTSTEP, provides a powerful and easy framework for administering large networks without the overhead, delay and inconsistencies created by other network administration tools. NetInfo Editions for Servers extends that advantage to other industry UNIX platforms by providing compatibility with NEXTSTEP's native NetInfo along with tight integration with existing network administration tools on the server. The graphical network administration tools available with NEXTSTEP can be used from one location to administer all of the servers on a network that use NetInfo. NetInfo Editions are currently available from NeXT for SunOS, HP-UX and DEC OSF/1 and will be available for Solaris in the second half of 1994. NetInfo Editions for Servers have the same pricing structure as PDO. NeXT Computer, Inc. NeXT develops and markets the award-winning NEXTSTEP object-oriented software for industry-standard computer architectures. Customers use NEXTSTEP's advanced object environment to rapidly develop and deploy custom, enterprise-wide, client/server applications. NeXT is headquartered in Redwood City, California, and has offices in North America, London, Paris, Munich and Tokyo. # # # # NeXT, the NeXT logo, NEXTSTEP, PDO, Portable Distributed Objects and the PDO logo are registered trademarks of NeXT Computer, Inc. All other trademarks mentioned belong to their respective owners.