IBM RELATED NEWS & PRESS RELEASES



IBM OUTLINES ROADMAP FOR OS/2 SERVER FAMILY

Plans Include New Versions of Both OS/2 Warp Server and WorkSpace On-Demand

AUSTIN, TX, USA (May 5, 1998) - IBM today announced several enhancements for the OS/2* Warp Server family of products improving system management and back-up and recovery capabilities. In addition, IBM has outlined plans for a new version of OS/2 Warp Server and the next release of WorkSpace On-Demand, IBM's server-managed client operating system.

IBM plans to introduce this next release into the OS/2 Warp Server family of products in early 1999 and will serve as IBM's entry level server platform for running e-business applications. In addition, IBM's new release of WorkSpace On-Demand is also targeted for early 1999 and will offer customers support for a broader range of hardware devices.

"We continue to strengthen the OS/2 Warp Server platform as a true enterprise solution to meet our customers needs today," said Jeff Smith, director of IBM's OS/2 Business Unit. "As more companies become e-businesses, we want to offer an entry-level server platform that will provide all of the features and functionality needed to build a network computing architecture that can grow to meet customer's expanding e-business demands in the future."

New Features for Today's OS/2 Warp Server

OS/2 Warp Server systems management provides network administrators with a highly flexible tool that allows them to configure, monitor and manage local and remote systems in a heterogeneous environment. This new update offers administrators management of Windows NT 4.0 clients, expanded hardware support, and added functionality such as continuous resource monitoring, utilization reports for all servers, and report generation ranging from hourly to monthly. IBM's backup and recovery feature in OS/2 Warp Server provides users with non-stop system backup and recovery functionality through an easy-to-use graphical user interface (GUI) or a new command-line interface. This enables users to schedule backups to run with minimum intervention and allows for lost files to be restored in minutes with its unique indexing facility. New features included in OS/2 Warp Server's backup and recovery include:

Large Network Administration and Backup - In addition to the easy-to-use graphical interface, the new command-line interface now offers network administrators flexibility to automate and customize the backup process for large networks.

Dual Device Backup Set and Removable Media Support - Administrators can now backup data on one or more different backup devices allowing for full system backups to a tape drive, with incremental backup on a quick access drive. The tape drive can be used for disaster recovery while the removable drive, such as IOMEGA JAZ and ZIP drives, can be locally available for quick recovery. This allows an administrator to take advantage of the price, capacity and speed characteristics of different storage devices, minimizing the time needed to recover an up-to-date system.

The new systems management and backup and recovery functionality that has been added to OS/2 Warp Server is available today from Software Choice, IBM's Internet software delivery site, at http://www.software.ibm.com/os2warp.

Roadmap Includes New Version of OS/2 Warp Server and WorkSpace On-Demand

The next release of OS/2 Warp Server is planned for beta availability in late 1998 and will be IBM's entry level e-business server and an ideal platform to help reduce the total cost of management with WorkSpace On-Demand. In addition to all of the feature and functionality found in today's OS/2 Warp Server, the new release will offer customers out-of-box support for Year 2000 and Eurocurrency -- two critical issues businesses are facing today. It will also include a high-performance Journaling File System offering faster performance, improved scalability, and enhanced Web serving capabilities. General availability is planned for early 1999.

The plans for the new release of WorkSpace On-Demand include support of a broader set of hardware using standard IP Protocols allowing customers to continue to build upon their existing hardware investments. IBM also plans to provide additional pre-configured machine classes for hardware that has broad appeal to today's customers. One example of the extended pre-configured machine class support, will be WorkSpace On-Demand's support for select IBM Network Stations. Additional planned enhancements will focus on continued ease-of-use for administrators by enhancing WorkSpace On-Demand's application installation and machine class creation tools. This release will also include Java 1.1.6 with support for additional releases as they become available. General availability is planned for the fourth quarter of 1998.

IBM Software

IBM creates, develops and manufactures some of the industry's most advanced information technologies, including computer systems, software, networking systems, storage devices and microelectronics. IBM offers information about the company and its products through the World Wide Web. The fastest, easiest way to get information about IBM software is through the IBM software home page at http://www.software.ibm.com/.

*IBM and OS/2 Warp are registered trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation.
**Windows 95 and Windows NT are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.

- Mark Owens
Seattle, WA, USA

JAVA 1.1.6 FOR OS/2 WARP PRE-RELEASE NOW AVAILABLE

Please be advised that Java 1.1.6 for OS/2 Warp Pre-Release is now available at the following URL: http://service5.boulder.ibm.com/pcpd.nsf

For more information, contact:
Nicky Hartless
512/838-4549
TL 678-4549
IBM Corp.
11400 Burnet Road
Austin, Texas 78758

Java 1.1.6 adds significant performance, security, reliability, and scalability enhancements. IBM's early preview of Java 1.1.6 for OS/2 Warp is in keeping with the company's commitment to providing the latest Java technologies to its customers as quickly as possible. (IBM has released this preview in the same month that JavaSoft has released the Java 1.1.6 reference version.)

Please continue to monitor IBM's Software Choice web site at http://www.software.ibm.com/swchoice for information on the formal release of the production version of Java 1.1.6 for OS/2 Warp.

Both the preview and production releases of Java 1.1.6 for OS/2 Warp are designed to work with the latest currently available version of Netscape Navigator for OS/2 Warp, also available for download from the IBM Software Choice site.

For the latest Java news from IBM, including information on VisualAge Java for OS/2 Warp and other platforms, please be sure to visit http://www.ibm.com/java

- Mark Owens
Seattle, WA, USA
April 30, 1998
with supplemental text from
- Timothy Sipples

LOTUS SHIPS SMARTSUITE FOR OS/2

New Suite of Native OS/2 Productivity Applications Delivers Internet Connectivity and Collaborative Computing Functionality

CAMBRIDGE, MA (April 8, 1998) - Lotus Development Corp. today announced that it has shipped Lotus SmartSuite for OS/2 Warp 4. Designed to meet the need for a native OS/2 office suite solution, the release of SmartSuite for OS/2 Warp 4 brings cross-platform productivity to mixed Windows and OS/2 corporate environments. The new version provides OS/2 users with the desktop productivity tools needed to work effectively as an individual and to collaborate with others within organizations or around the world. The suite is highlighted by its advanced personal productivity enhancements and superior integration with the Internet and corporate intranets, enabling users to easily find, publish and share critical business information.

SmartSuite for OS/2 Warp 4 is a complete set of five native 32-bit OS/2 desktop applications that harness the Internet as a powerful business computing platform. Included in SmartSuite are the first OS/2 versions of the Approach database and Organizer personal information manager in addition to new OS/2 Warp 4 versions of the world-famous 1-2-3 spreadsheet, the Word Pro word processor and the Freelance Graphics presentation graphics application.

"OS/2 Warp is known for its reliability, stability and support of mission critical applications." said Lynne Capozzi, vice president of marketing and development for Lotus' Internet Applications Division. "SmartSuite for OS/2 Warp 4 complements this robust computing environment by delivering the rich Internet and collaborative computing functionality that our customers expect."

SmartSuite for OS/2 Warp 4 contains hundreds of new features and enhancements designed to boost end-user productivity. Selected enhancements include:

Native OS/2 platform support - SmartSuite for OS/2 Warp 4 takes advantage of OS/2 functionality, including long file names, OS/2 templates, right mouse button pop-up menus, LotusScript/REXX integration, drag-and-drop, file open and file print, and more. Web publishing made easy -- Users can publish Freelance presentations and 1-2-3 spreadsheets in HTML format with the suite's enhanced Web publishing capabilities. Word Pro for OS/2 Warp 4's Web Page Publisher enables users to post documents to the Web and create professional home pages fast -- without requiring the user to know HTML programming.

Collaboration - Sharing files over the Internet and corporate intranets is easy with Lotus; pioneering Team Computing functionality -- including TeamReview and TeamMail. Using these innovative features, users can route documents to colleagues, co-workers and associates for review and automatically consolidate edits and versions into a single document. In addition, users can browse file directories as well as open and save files on Internet or intranet servers directly from within 1-2-3, Word Pro, and Approach.

Automated organization - Lotus Organizer for OS/2 Warp 4 integrates a personal calendar, to-do list, yearly planner, address book, call manager, notepad and anniversary reminder to help users efficiently organize their business and personal information. Mobile users can merge laptop file updates with files on the office LAN, or print in over 25 layouts that fit most popular paper datebooks.

Manage business information - Lotus Approach for OS/2 Warp 4 is a relational database that is not only powerful and versatile, but also easy to use. Approach provides tools to build highly functional databases, allowing teams of individuals to track, manage and analyze important business information.

High Performance Data Connectivity - With SmartSuite for OS/2 Warp 4, users get fast, direct access to business data stored in DB2, Lotus Notes, Oracle and other SQL sources using Lotus Approach for OS/2 Warp 4.

Personal productivity enhancements - The Lotus InfoBox, the interactive interface that shows your changes as you make them, enables users to quickly and easily format text, numbers or objects in any document, spreadsheet or presentation. New SmartMaster templates provide content-rich outlines for everyday business documents, helping users get a jump on document, presentation, database or spreadsheet creation. Lotus Assistants provide step-by-step guidance on mail merges, creating macros, Team Computing and more. Ask The Expert allows users to pose help questions in their own words.

Pricing, Availability and System Requirements

SmartSuite for OS/2 Warp 4 is available now in International English at an estimated retail price (ERP) of $399. Current users of SmartSuite or individual Lotus desktop applications, and users of qualifying competing suites, spreadsheets, word processors, databases and presentation graphics packages are eligible to upgrade for an estimated retail price (ERP) of $149. The product is also scheduled to ship in additional language versions including Danish, German, French, Dutch, Italian, Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese within 60 days.

SmartSuite for OS/2 Warp 4 requires an IBM PC or compatible (Pentium 90MHz or higher) with 32MB of RAM, running OS/2 Warp 4 and OS/2 Warp 4 FixPak 5. SmartSuite also requires an OS/2 Warp compatible CD ROM drive, mouse or pointing device and a VGA adapter and monitor. Complete installation of SmartSuite for OS/2 Warp 4 requires 163MB of hard disk space. SmartSuite for OS/2 Warp 4 also runs on IBM WorkSpace on Demand, IBM's network computing environment for standard Intel-based PCs.

For more information, visit the SmartSuite for OS/2 Warp 4 Web site at http://www.lotus.com/smartsuiteos2. For information on the entire Lotus business applications product line, visit the Lotus Web site at http://www.lotus.com/ or call 1-800-343-5414 in the United States, or 1-800-GO-LOTUS in Canada.

Lotus Development Corporation, founded in 1982, is a subsidiary of IBM Corporation. Lotus offers high quality software products and services that reflect the company's unique understanding of the new ways in which individuals and businesses must work together to achieve success. Lotus' innovative approach is evident in a new class of applications that allow users to access and communicate information in ways never before possible, both within and beyond organizational boundaries. Lotus now markets its products in more than 80 countries worldwide and provides numerous professional consulting, support and education services through the Lotus Services Group.

All prices and terms are for the USA only. Lotus, LotusScript, 1-2-3, Approach, Freelance Graphics, SmartMaster, Lotus Notes, Organizer and SmartSuite are registered trademarks, and WordPro, Notes, TeamConsolidate, TeamReview, and TeamMail are trademarks of Lotus Development Corporation. IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation. Other brands and products are the property of their respective owners.

All Lotus news releases and other SmartSuite collateral are available on the Internet, via the Lotus Development Corp. Home Page at http://www.lotus.com/. The Lotus Home Page is an easy way to find information about Lotus and its business partners' products and services.

A copy of this release and other company information is also available via fax by dialing 1-800-57-LOTUS within the U.S. and Canada or 201-946-2336 outside the U.S. and Canada.

- Ed Thomas
Lois Paul & Partners
April 13, 1998

FIXPAK-6 FOR OS/2 WARP 4 RELEASED

FixPak-6 for OS/2 Warp 4 was officially released for public ftp download on March 2nd. There are 15 disk image files, totalling approximately 21 MBytes. FixPak-6 includes several new features. User feedback reports have been unanimously positive.

ftp://service.boulder.ibm.com/ps/products/os2/fixes/v4warp/english-us/xr_m006/

- Larry Lavins
Philadelphia Area Computer Society (PACS), OS/2 SIG
March 4, 1998

EDITOR's NOTE: Although FixPak 6 is larger than its predecessor (FP6 is nearly 21mb in size, requiring 15 diskettes) I downloaded and installed the update with great ease.