IBM RELATED NEWS & PRESS RELEASES

"All things come round to him who will but wait." - Longfellow, Tales of a Wayside Inn, The Student's Tale

After much anticipation, IBM brings some of the best Internet technology to the OS/2 world with the September 30th delivery of Netscape Communicator 4.04 for OS/2 Warp. As the name implies, Netscape Communicator 4.04 is more than just a browser. This complete Internet client for OS/2 Warp 4, Warp Servers and WorkSpace On-Demand offers e-mail, collaboration, news group access and web page creation.

This product facilitates the transition to the network computing model with the support of the latest Java 1.1 versions including the OS/2 Warp Developer's Toolkit for Java 1.1.6 and all previously supported functions such as native OS/2 multimedia plug-ins and support for the 16-bit Windows plug-ins. Users can immediately take advantage of enhanced Web browsing capabilities with Netscape Communicator's support for page features such as HTML 3.2, dynamic HTML, Javascript 1.2 and trusted applets.

IBM is also pleased to announce that this product is available in 18 languages including Polish, Russian, Hungarian, Finnish, Norwegian, Czech, Chinese Traditional and Chinese Simplified.

This product is provided at no charge through Software Choice found at: http://www.software.ibm.com/swchoice/. Netscape Communicator 4.04 for OS/2 Warp -- strong encryption (128 bit) version is also available on Software Choice for the US and Canada. Navigator 2.02 will be supported through Jan 31, 2001. Netscape Communicator 4.04 for OS/2 Warp does not replace Netscape Navigator 2.02 for OS/2 on OS/2 Warp 3 or OS/2 Warp Connect.

For more detailed information on Netscape Communicator 4.04 for OS/2 Warp see http://www.software.ibm.com/os/warp and http://www.software.ibm.com/os/warp/library.

Aurora Status Update

On October 13, 1998, IBM will announce the official name of the next release of OS/2 Warp Server on the Aurora Web site. Shortly thereafter, on October 16, 1998, no more registrations for the beta will be accepted.

However, the Aurora Web site will still remain active with a customer poll. The most recent question posed was: What processor family is predominantly supporting LAN Server and OS/2 Warp Server? The results indicated that more than 90% of the respondents are running Pentium class machines. A new question will be posted approximately every two weeks.

Are you interested in the best Java(TM) performance?

InfoWorld has just completed testing of a variety of server operating systems and Java virtual machines (JVMs), including a beta version of JDK 1.1.7 with Warp Server SMP. The results?

Well, here's a quote from that report:

"To fill this need, the InfoWorld Test Center built a server-side benchmark capable of accurately exercising these systems. In looking at the results, the good news is that if Java is supposed to be slow, someone forgot to tell IBM, because they are taking performance very much into their own hands and are producing Java virtual machines (JVMs), operating systems, and hardware that seem almost uniquely optimized for server-side Java."

And another:

"What did cause at least a few minor tremors was OS/2, and here a direct comparison is quite valid. Except for the first data point, the OS/2 numbers are two to three times more than the NT numbers, and at least that for only the best Linux numbers. It seems that IBM has done some good work, although the JIT compiler in IBM JDK for OS/2 is still in beta testing and may not be the same when it is released. Changing the garbage collection settings improved performance a little, but not enough to make it worth having to restart your computer to clean it out. No where else did garbage collection make a significant difference either."

Performance matters, and IBM is totally committed to developing high performance Java and web technologies for all its platforms.

Need more information? You can read the entire InfoWorld report on the Internet at http://www.infoworld.com/cgi-bin/displayTC.pl?/980914analysis.htm.

For more information on IBM's "Aurora" e-business server please visit http://www.software.ibm.com/os/warp/aurora.

International Technical Support Organization (ITSO) Workshop Announcement

September 14, 1998

Workshop NP-0150-W: WorkSpace On-Demand 2 / Orion Planning & Implementation Workshop

To: ITSO Mailing List for Netfinity and Software, Network Computing Framework, Networking Hardware, Windows and Win NT, Channel and BP, e-business, Enterprise Resource Planning, Education and Training, Server Consolidation, Services, Solution Developers, Data Management, eNetwork Software, Software Servers.

Leader: Ron Aguirre, Austin ITSO Center IBM Notes: Ron Aguirre/Austin/IBM Internet: aguirre@us.ibm.com IBM VM: IBMUSM26(AGUIRRE)

Duration: 4 days

Description:

This course is designed to give an overview of the WorkSpace On-Demand 2.0, NSM 3.0 and Orion products. Through lectures and lab work, students will gain an understanding of the legacy implementation of RIPL on OS/2 Warp Server and the enhancements (DHCP Boot) provided by WorkSpace On-Demand 2.0. The course will also deal with more advanced topics such as application enablement, machine classing and problem determination. Labs will provide students with hands-on exercises installing and implementing WorkSpace On-Demand 2.0, NSM 3.0 and Orion in a network environment.

Enrollment: In general, students attending ITSO workshops are expected to re-teach the material in their home countries.

Send questions and enrollment requests for particular workshop sessions to the contacts listed above. Enrollment requests should include:

• Student's surname and initials
• Student's UserID and Node
• Country, job title and responsibility
• Workshop number and name
• Manager's name, UserID and Node
• Accommodation requirements

If information about unannounced IBM products will be presented during the workshop, external participants will be asked to sign a nondisclosure agreement.

ITSO workshops, exceptional for their timeliness and real-world "how-to" focus, are taught by ITSO's own professionals. They are field-experienced, technical people who have personally worked with the subject software or hardware to create the class material.

Workshop costs: IBMers who attend this workshop will normally be charged back to their division/brand interlock with E&T. Business partners and customers will be charged standard education prices based on the duration of the workshop and other factors. Standard education discounts will apply.

Business Partners and customers can find out about IBM Redbooks, Redpieces, and more at our internet site: http://www.redbooks.ibm.com/

IBMers can find us on the IBM Intranet at: http://w3.itso.ibm.com/

To add, change, or delete your name from ITSO's mailing lists, IBMers can go to the ITSO Intranet homepage http://w3.itso.ibm.com/ and click the "ITSO Mailing List" button. For mailing list questions, send e-mail to itsoadmi@us.ibm.com.

From time to time IBM sponsors residency programs through the ITSO (International Technical Support Organization). A residency literally lets you live next to IBM's development labs (at IBM's expense) and get a sneak preview of emerging technologies.

Sound interesting? It is, because one of the best ways to learn about new technologies is to spend time working with them. By spending time using and writing about these technologies you can develop new skills which will put you in high job demand. Plus you get to see your name in print!

For exceptionally well qualified candidates, IBM offers a short term (usually 6 to 8 weeks) residency. All travel and living expenses for your residency are paid by IBM. And you get to "rub elbows" with fellow expert residents and IBM developers.

Candidates are now being considered for three new OS/2 Warp-related residencies:

NP-2000-R: Migrating to "Aurora"
NP-2099-R: New Features in "Aurora"
NP-2001-R: Migrating to "Aurora" Workshop

"Aurora" is the code name for the most powerful Intel-based e-business server ever produced: the next release of Warp Server. Two of these residencies involve producing redbooks; the third aims to create a training workshop for new "Aurora" customers and support people.

If you feel you are exceptionally qualified and wish to join any of these three teams, please e-mail me at tsipple@us.ibm.com to request a nomination form. IBM will consider a limited number of candidates for these important residencies in Austin, Texas, and you will have a rare opportunity to influence the final stages of product development. Please indicate the residency (by number) you are most interested in.

I must receive your inquiry no later than September 30, 1998, for these three residencies. I cannot guarantee a reply to your inquiry even before this date since residency positions can be filled at any time.

For more information on IBM redbooks and the ITSO please visit http://www.redbooks.ibm.com/.

IBM released FixPak-8 for OS/2 Warp 4 on September 3rd. It can be downloaded from:

ftp://service.boulder.ibm.com/ps/products/os2/fixes/v4warp/english-us/xr_m008/

There is a total of 16 disk images: xr_m008.1dk - xr_m008.gdk

Tim Martin of Warp City has made available his "3 Easy Steps" procedure for installing FixPaks without the use of floppies. Just log on to the following publicly accessible web page:

http://www.warpcity.com/report12.html

Just follow the easy steps. Its all there.