OS/2 Warp Weekly Newsletter - 1995-09-08

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THE OS/2 WARP WEEKLY - A production of PSP Worldwide Marketing Support

Covering information relevant to OS/2 Warp and LAN Server

The 9/8/95 Issue (A real collector's item)

The OS/2 Warp Weekly and OS/2 Warp Monthly Newsletters are available on the Internet at http://www.austin.ibm.com/pspinfo/newsletters.html

Straight Talk From John Schwarz

John Schwarz, Vice President of Personal OS, directs the Boca Raton Programming Center where they develop OS/2 Warp.

WW: It's been less than a year since you joined the Boca Programming Center, what goals did you set for yourself and the lab when you started?

JS:

Before I tell you my goals, I want to share my first impressions when I arrived here. I found a team totally and completely committed to their work. Their technical expertise is very competitive.
My first goal was to deliver on the commitments that were made prior to my arrival. Beyond that I set very specific goals:
  • to extend the feeling of mission and ownership that the Boca lab felt for the client business
  • to establish more repeatable and predictable processes.
  • to enhance the team feeling in the Boca Lab.
I wanted a team where people will support and respect each other and where any decision made by a subset of the team is honored by all members of the team.
As a personal goal, I wanted to enhance my knowledge of OS/2 and the client market.

WW: Where are you in achieving these goals?

JS:

We have achieved some of those goals.
  • The mission of a client business is clearly established.
  • The team is established and the process is well on its way to being defined and rolled out, if not fully operational.
I have enhanced my knowledge of OS/2.
We are also learning from our successes in the area of preloads. We have shipped dozens of versions of OS/2 Warp, each configured to meet specific hardware requirements for each vendor. What we have learned is that we should make incremental enhancements targeted to specific audiences rather than huge projects. My expectation is that we will improve by establishing repeatable processes and reducing the scope of projects.

WW: What are some of the new product features that we can look forward to seeing in the next few months?

JS:

You will see the OS/2 Warp for PowerPC support, which includes the restructure of the OS/2 Warp code base for portability and scalability. This new base will be the base for future Intel deliveries.
We will deliver new features for application developers that allow improved portability from Windows 95 to OS/2 Warp.
We'll have the first entry in the object parts business with OpenDoc. With OpenDoc, we allow developers to deliver applications in parts that can be combined into component documents on the desktop.
We're also looking at new humancentric content that will improve the OS/2 Warp user interface, allowing more dynamics on the desktop.
You will also see a major new thrust into the integrated server marketplace where we will integrate server subsystems into the base operating system. Our customers will not have to install these subsystems separately. The subsystems will be fully integrated, pre-installed and pre-tested. The subsystems will include Database, Network Management, etc.

WW: What do you think are the most marketable aspects of OS/2 Warp?

JS:

In the enterprise space, it's the IBM name. The service and reputation of IBM is a major reason they buy OS/2 Warp. On a technical level, its the stability and reliability of the code. Also with OS/2 Warp, it's the ease of use and the addition of the Bonus Pak. The Bonus Pak is good starter set; particularly the Internet Access kit and IBM Works.

Why I Chose OS/2 (Fourth in a Series)

Why are people choosing OS/2 Warp instead of Windows? These answers, which come from a wide range of computer users, cut through the hype.

Because of its reliability

Walter Leonard CIO Wachovia Bank

"OS/2 Warp is the most reliable and industrial strength operating system. When you put 500 LANs out there with no technicians close by, stability is very important."

BOTTOM LINE: Today IBM delivers enterprise-wide stability and remote management of software ranging from desktops to mainframes.

Because of its Investment Protection

Jeremy MeHarg Director, Education Technology Burnaby South School

"The future OS/2 promised in the past is happening now... in Warp. I really feel good about the decision we made to invest in OS/2 a couple of years ago because it is starting to show off some of the things we only dreamt about back then."

BOTTOM LINE: IBM delivers what customers ask for by providing them with choices and a competitive edge.

Get Some Satisfaction With OS/2 Warp

At this important time, we wanted to remind software retailers that OS/2 Warp continues to be their customers' best choice in operating systems. By this Friday, nearly 25,000 retail outlets in the U.S. and Canada will have received a 6X9, 4-color postcard with the following text:

                YOUR CUSTOMERS RETURNING WINDOWS 95??
 
                           $AVE THAT $ALE
 
                        SELL THEM OS/2 WARP
 
- OS/2 Warp Is Stable (OS/2 Warp is a solid 3rd version release operating system.)
 
- OS/2 Warp Is Reliable (OS/2 Warp is a true 32-bit, Crash Protected product)
 
- OS/2 Warp Truly Multi-Tasks (OS/2 Warp runs DOS & Windows & OS/2 apps beautifully and all at once)
 
- New OS/2 Applications Are Released All The Time (like SmartSuite for OS/2, Galactic Civilization & coming soon The Family FunPak for OS/2 Warp)
 
- Save $30 "Check It Out" Promotion Has Been Extended Through September.
 
                            OS/2 Warp
 
          Start It Up & Finally Get Some True Satisfaction

Sun Shines on OS/2's Parade

Now that operating system choices are at the forefront of everyone's mind, it's become clear to the press that OS/2 Warp stands head and shoulders above the competition:

OS/2 AND WIN 95: IT'S NOT OVER YET
William Wong, CommunicationsWeek, 9-4-95
"OS/2 Warp is not threatening to go away. Regardless of the landslide popularity of Windows 95, OS/2 Warp remains a success that continues to grow. The real question is how much will it grow and whether that growth can accommodate today's enterprise needs--so far, that future looks rosy."
IBM THROWS OS/2 ROCK AT WINDOWS
Tom Venstis, Computer Dealer News, 8-28-95
IBM's new punches in the fight against Microsoft include announcing new solution packages, marketing approaches and reseller programs for OS/2.
REAPING THE REWARDS OF COMPETITION
Jerry Pournelle, OS/2 Professional, 9-95
OS/2 Warp Connect is a competitive product with superior capabilities.
WARP CONNECT WILL TURN HEADS
Tom Stearns, LAN Times, 8-28-95
OS/2 Warp Connect received a 4 1/2 star rating from LAN Times reviewers. Its BonusPak and Lotus Notes Express were added hits.
IBM WARP SERVER IS RICH IN FEATURES
Shawn Willett, Computer Reseller News, 8-28-95
OS/2 Warp Server incorporates features that competitors offer as add-on products.

StopLight for OS/2 Provides High-Security Safety Net

Safetynet, Inc. is now shipping StopLight for OS/2, the first OS/2 security software with file-level protection. StopLight for OS/2 secures the computer's hard disk, allowing only authorized users to access the system. Upon successful login, a user is restricted to areas assigned by the administrator. Restrictions can be placed on files, directories and drives, with control over Read, Write, Create, Delete and Execute privileges. SpotLight supports all versions of OS/2 from v2.x through OS/2 Warp Connect.

Evaluation copies of StopLight for OS/2 can be downloaded from:

 World Wide Web  http://www.safe.net/safety/
 FTP             ftp://ftp.safe.net/pub/safetynet/
 Compuserve      issue the keyword SAFE and enter the Safetynet section

New Tanning Trend Hits Home

A new acronynm, TAN, is making its way across Cyberspace. A TAN or Tiny Area Network is a network in the home. Just as family members often find it difficult to share one television set, they are beginning to have trouble sharing one PC. Many homes now have more than one computer - one PC for the kids, one for the parents, and one for the road.

Like any business, these families want to efficiently manage the software, printers and peripherals in their network. To solve this problem, a growing number of TANned consumers are installing OS/2 Warp Connect on their home computers. TANs now represent a small, but growing, customer base for OS/2 Warp Connect.

Warp'd Humor

Q. How many programmers does it take to change a lightbulb?

A. None, it's a hardware problem.


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