NETAnywhere - The Answer to Remote Network Computing

By Penny Porter

''Virtual Resource Communications, Inc. provides NETAnywhere, a hardware and software solution for your remote communications needs. Along with a description of the product, this article contains several scenarios demonstrating NETAnywhere's capabilities.''

Robert Johnson is a West Coast executive on a business trip in New York. He arrives at his hotel room at 6:00 p.m. It is early enough to take care of a few odds and ends.

He attaches his notebook computer to the hotel room's phone line. First, he decides to call his family. His video phone capabilities make it seem as if they are talking in person. His daughter even shows him a drawing she did at school that morning. He plays a quick video game with his son before closing the connection to call his office and download a video he'll need for his presentation in the morning.

After his call, Robert decides to relax with a little entertainment. He hooks into the Internet to see what's going on. There's a pay-per-view championship fight in Las Vegas, and the Lakers are playing back home. Then he notices there's a symposium in Hawaii where executives from IBM, Dell, Compaq, and Toshiba are discussing future consumer trends. He decides to watch the conference and see if there is any information he can use in his meeting tomorrow.

Next, he makes a few notes and adjusts his presentation. He uses his computer to access a back issue of Byte Magazine to check a few facts. He's finished work by 8:30 p.m. and decides to do a little shopping. He orders a new best-selling CD, and he accesses the L. L. Bean Internet catalog. After-wards, he thinks about phoning in a movie or hooking into his favorite radio station back home but decides instead to log into a BBC concert, broadcast live from London.

In the previous scenario, are we looking at a future where the PC is the ultimate communications tool? Where it represents its maximum potential with cross-platform, multimedia applications delivered in real time? Where it provides the end user with the ultimate freedom to easily access information from any application, from anywhere, at any time?

No! We are looking at capabilities available today. No longer can remote access be viewed as just a "remote user" accessing centralized data. Now remote users expect and can access remote "services" with high levels of network performance.

Virtual Resource Communications, Inc. introduces NETAnywhere based upon an innovative "Smart Memory" architecture (patent pending), a hardware and software solution designed to seamlessly merge computing and communications.

To understand the benefit of NETAnywhere, you need only look at the limitations placed upon the server by current remote network computing methods. The culprit behind the current limitations is clear: The traditional bus-oriented data I/O architecture was not designed for high bandwidth communications. This architecture requires the host processor to format data and route the formatted packets to their destinations. As more and more devices are added, as much as 95 percent of the host's processing power may be consumed, degrading performance of all active devices (see Figure 1).

The existing solutions attempt to address the deficiencies in network performance by using extensions or modifications of existing architecture. Currently, users have two options: 1) either to implement a series of low-port servers and constantly expand by purchasing more and more hardware (which can easily become costly and unmanageable) or 2) to simply suffer through their system's limited expansion and performance bottlenecks.

NETAnywhere is based upon a revolutionary new architecture called "Smart Memory," which was developed specifically to address the demands of high bandwidth communications such as interactive multimedia (see Figure 2). NETAnywhere allows both the server and the client to function more effectively. By providing parallel processing, the server is freed from a burden that has traditionally taken the bulk of its time and power.

When liberated from its processing duties, the server becomes a "super server," free to handle the complexities of real time, multimedia computing. NETAnywhere's superior communication capabilities include: With NETAnywhere, information moves faster, and people are better connected.
 * Higher port density--Any combination of 135 asynchronous or 45 ISDN connections
 * Quality service--Superior performance across all ports; no data throughput degradation
 * VRC PPP server software for OS/2 Warp Server--Access via Windows 95 clients as well as the Internet
 * OS/2 Warp Server SMP compliant--No hardware or software modification necessary
 * Scalable--Protects your investment for future migration
 * Massive parallel processing--Application and communication processing on the same server

The following scenarios show how major corporations have benefited from the NETAnywhere solution:
 * To relieve traffic congestion during the Olympic Games, the Atlanta Olympic Committee issued a mandate to all companies in the vicinity of Olympic Village to have approximately 20 percent of their employees work from home during the Games. In response, one national bank (an official sponsor of the Olympics) installed NETAnywhere as an integral part of their remote access solution.
 * A major auto equipment manufacturer's remote sales force uses notebook computers running Windows 95 and Notes Client. These sales people dial into NETAnywhere installed on an OS/2 Warp Connect server to access Lotus Notes and Notes Mail. They also connect via Telnet sessions to the company's AS/400.
 * NETAnywhere replaced a traditional multi-port board in a large county government IS department in Texas. Users report a significant performance improvement. They have some ports configured for dial-in to their OS/2 Warp Server from OS/2 and Windows clients using point-to-point protocol (PPP). They perform a variety of applications after passing LAN Distance security. Some users are programming off hours, while others use 3270 emulation to access their IBM mainframe for all types of county records.

NETAnywhere is the answer to present and future network computing needs. Remote network computing is now more than the transport supporting mobile communications, universal messaging, and Internet browsing. Remote network computing also supports communications and collaboration. It requires seamless integration of remote access with communications-intensive applications such as groupware, video conferencing, and the emerging interactive multimedia applications.

Foremost, NETAnywhere is a platform - a system that simplifies remote network computing through integration and consolidation. What it means to the information systems manager is performance, savings, flexibility, scalability, and manageability. Simply stated, NETAnywhere is the most efficient and cost effective way to run your remote network computing today, tomorrow, and far into the future.