Winterm: Worlds first Thin Client | ||
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This issue:
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How to get on the Web quickly Leading coastal resort AND thriving business centre - Bournemouth and Centreline 2000. hit the Web. Bournemouth means business Bournemouth is one of the country's premier seaside resorts - attracting UK and overseas tourists and foreign language students from all over the world. Equally important, the town is a thriving financial services centre, tempting some of the very biggest names in banking and insurance to base their operations there. All of which means big business for the local economy. So the Web is a perfect vehicle for ensuring the town's potential gets the exposure it deserves. And with Centreline 2000's help, the Council has been positioning the town for maximum exposure - across the Web and across the world! New horizons The Council gained unitary authority status (i.e. independence from the County Council) on the 1st April. New roles and responsibilities have accompanied this change in status as Alan Larcombe the Head of Corporate & Economic Development at Bournemouth Borough Council explains. "As a result of the reorganisation the Council's staff and workload have more than trebled. The Council is now responsible for the provision of all local government services in the Borough including Education, Social Services, Trading Standards, Council Tax collection and many more. We now have over 5,300 council employees." Promoting character and potential "But whatever the changes," he continues "our role remains the same. To develop and promote the character and potential of the town and explain why it should be the first choice for prospective tourists, conferences and businesses looking to relocate. With Centreline 2000's help, the Web really helps us to put this across." As you might expect, the main industry of the area is tourism. But Bournemouth has also developed a thriving financial services sector. Major corporates in banking and insurance have elected to base their headquarters or back office operations in the town. Larcombe comments, "For example, Chase Manhattan and Abbey Life both have major facilities here. We find that companies are attracted by the prospect of a labour pool of skilled key workers. Also, the quality of life on offer means it is easier to attract and retain staff." Lessons learned Centreline 2000 were asked to help the council following recommendations from other local authorities and as a result of the Local Government on the Web Survey conducted by the company. The Council had seen the survey (evaluating how effectively local government was using the Web) in the Local Government Chronicle. The survey had also been discussed by a Dorset wide local authority IT group. "It was a case of learning lessons from the experience of others," commented Nigel Jenkins, Bournemouth Council's Head of IT Services. "From the survey, we could tell that Centreline 2000 knew the pitfalls and could advise us on them. We were looking for a company which recognised the needs of a local authority but also had a wider knowledge. Centreline fitted the bill precisely." National and international markets The Council's Information Technology Services and Corporate Development section worked together to develop a phased implementation plan. Debbie Clifton of the Corporate Development section explained, "We needed a web site. We wanted to target both the national and international markets and our local residents. We decided on a phased approach. "In phase 1 we chose to focus explicitly on inward investment, targeting tourism, conferencing and economic development. Phase 2 will see the Council adding to the web site to promote our whole range of services to residents. To include useful information on, for example, education, housing, planning matters and their local Councillors." Launch on time The Council asked Centreline 2000 to build the site. One of the unique aspects of Centreline 2000's Web Manager is that it can be used to design and evaluate a number of iterations of 'look and feel' very quickly. As a result, the Bournemouth site could be rapidly developed. "We are delighted with the way phase 1 has gone," explains Debbie Clifton. "We had to work to a very tight timescale and Centreline 2000 delivered exactly what we needed. We were able to launch the site on time." Web Site Emphasis on inward investment The site contains a wide range of information designed to help prospective visitors - with the emphasis very definitely on inward investment. As well as detailed briefings on the local economy, business accommodation, labour market and the town's prestigious conference facilities at the Bournemouth International Centre there is extensive reference documentation on the area, places to stay, sites of interest, food and drink etc. The Council is already planning phase 2 . Alan Larcombe again, "Following the successful launch of our Inward Investment web site we are now going ahead with phase 2 which will put Council services on the web. We plan to cover all of the main services, plus general communication information such as transport strategies and other local issues." Customer information point "We are also examining the options for a customer information point - possibly perhaps within Bournemouth's library service. An information point would provide access to our web site - and perhaps even a mechanism for people to contact the Council." Web address: www.bournemouth.gov.uk
Uniplex previewed the latest version of Uniplex Business Software, Version 9.0 which should be shipping in October. After a long period with few upgrades and extensive reorganisation it does look as though Uniplex are now back on track. Accepting that Uniplex no longer holds the market position it once did it is now scaling its operation at providing effective and useful upgrades and bug fixes. Version 9.0 enhancements include:
One of the more interesting features is the inclusion of a JAVA based terminal emulator, which means you could access Uniplex through an Internet browser! This has significant implications for PC networked environments. Pricing will be "competitive" according to Robert Fox, responsible for the UBS line. We are also hoping there will be a "summer amnesty" to encourage users of V7 and earlier to move up to V9.0 A significant change will be that V9 will go to a rolling program of updates, with 3 to 4 point releases during the next year. Uniplex will be encouraging users to sign up for maintenance programs to gain low-cost access to these releases. Uniplex also announced the dispatch of its 25,000th licence for V8.10.
SCO has just launched OpenServer 5.0.4. which is now Inter/Intranet optimised. It has been updated to improve Windows connectivity as well as taking advantage of the Internet. It has improved administration functions and greater PC connectivity tools. SCO VisionFS - Provides file and print services to Windows systems. VisionFS works with Windows 3.1, '95 and NT. No additional software is required on the client PC. SCO TermLite - Terminal emulation for Windows. You can use this software to access Unix character applications from your PC. Netscape FastTrack Server - Easy to use entry level Web Server designed to let novices create and manage a Web site. Netscape Navigator Gold - The Unix version of the leading Web Browser, lets you view the Web from Unix. SCO PPP from Morning Star - Provides a strong foundation of flexible network connectivity options for local and remote users. A highly functional PPP stack provides many options for wide area communications and Internet connections. SCO Internet Configuration Manager - Easy to use graphical tool which allows point and click administration of the Internet tools. JAVA Development Kit - Enables you to create and generate interactive Web pages. Full upgrade paths are available. If you are currently running OpenServer 5.0 or 5.0.2 you can benefit from an In-Place Upgrade. Centreline 2000 are not very happy about this release, we used to sell all these items separately, and now they are all bundled in!
Centreline 2000 has recently become a reseller for Wyse Technology Inc.'s Winterm - the worlds first Intranet and Internet compatible Microsoft Windows-Centric thin clients. What is a thin client? Simple, a Windows terminal to an NT or Unix host machine. Thin clients are a powerful business alternative to personal computers for: Best of all, thin clients seamlessly integrate access to both Windows-based and legacy applications, including the latest Internet and Intranet applications. Introducing the Winterm Family Winterm thin clients deliver the performance, security and reliability of a Microsoft Windows NT Server running any application written for Windows 3.1, Windows 95 or Windows NT without the need for high-end PCs on each desktop. By delivering the best attributes of shared host and client/server computing models to large and small installations, Winterm thin clients dramatically expand the choices for using Windows applications. More advanced than character terminals and superior to diskless PCs, Winterm thin clients are plug-and-play compatible with popular Windows NT applications servers, providing a true Windows display. Up to ten seats can be supported by just a 486-class PC, more with Pentium or multi- processor systems. Winterm thin clients operate over RS-232 (direct or modem) or via Ethernet. Winterm thin clients use an efficient protocol to communicate display information to the thin client and keyboard and mouse data to the host server. Winterm thin clients can supplement a mainframe or Unix system to deliver Windows applications. Rather than adding PCs for each desk, add a single Windows NT application server or Wyse Winterm manager and Winterm thin client for each user. This provides access to Windows productivity applications, e-mail and scheduling and copy-and-paste capability among applications while supporting mainframe or Unix applications. Wyse offers optional software with incremental ASCII, ANSI, X Terminal and Internet Web browsing capabilities to cleanly integrate these data resources. Secure Access in a Networked Environment Winterm thin clients are a low-cost, flexible way to add secure local or branch office seats to a networked environment. Simply include a supported Windows NT application server or Winterm Manager somewhere on the network. Then, connect Winterm thin clients to the network - anywhere, even in branch offices via WANs - to deliver high performance with secure access to network applications and resources, including those on NetWare Servers, printers, PCs and other services. Better Than Diskless PCs Winterm thin clients are a better solution then diskless PCs in four ways:
More Cost Effective Winterm thin clients provide a more cost- effective way to deliver Windows applications: With a cost per seat dramatically lower than PC's and improved ease-of-use and reliability, Winterm thin clients reduce the expense of acquisition, maintenance and help desk functions. They don't need frequent CPU, hard disk or memory upgrades as applications change, so long term cost of ownership is stable and predictable. Training costs are reduced too, because novice users can't accidentally make changes or add software that would crash their system. Improved Ease-of-Use and Security Winterm thin clients deliver the ease-of-use of Windows applications and more. At power-up, the thin client can automatically place the user into a Windows session, an application, or display custom messages indicating the users options - accepting keyboard or mouse response. As the superior solution for deploying security sensitive applications, Winterm thin clients include built-in multi-level security to ensure that only authorised personnel can access the server and network resources. Security works with Windows NT bases functions to grant users access only to authorised applications and data files. Winterm thin clients make Windows applications available at more locations than ever before. On the most crowded desktop, dustiest warehouse or most inaccessible bank teller windows, Winterm thin clients offer the combination of small footprint, quiet operation and ability to withstand a harsh environment - with higher security, reliability and ease-of-use than other devices. Mean time between failures is up to four times longer than a standard PC and monitor.
 Remote access from any location A unique benefit of Winterm thin clients is locations independence - the ability to access your data, with your desktop layout, applications and icons, form any Winterm terminal - so users are no longer "chained" to a specific PC. Also of benefit is the ability for administrators to mirror or "shadow" any users terminal, monitoring or taking remote control, for more effective user training or remote technical support. For transaction processing applications like database access, accounting, banking and point-of-sale, Winterm thin clients are the smartest choice for performance, data security and control. For productivity and specialised applications in a business environment, Winterm thin clients provide low cost, flexible, central administration of computing options for local and remote users.
Q: How do I turn off the print notification in NT 4.0? My Event Log is full of valid print s making it very difficult to see real messages. A: Select the Printers program, choose File, Properties from the menu and then the Advanced tab on the properties screen, you can select the level of logging you need. Q: How can I bypass the NT logon, so the system will logon when booted? A: This does have a security implications of course, but it is possible. Firstly, the NT Resource Kit has an autologon program, alternatively you can make these changes to the registry, find the key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionWinlogon Assign the correct domain and account name details to:
DefaultDomainName
Add DefaultPassword (data type REG_SZ)
with the correct password. Q: Can I turn off the CD Autostart feature, I have to continually switch between a number of product CD's and I'm fed up with them starting up the Install programs each time. A: The quick fix is hold down the Shift key while loading the CD. For a more permanent fix, set the value 0 (that's zero) to the registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetServicesCdrom Q: Can I change the logon bitmap? A: Replace WINNT.BMP or WINNT256.BMP in the C:WINNT directory with the picture of your choosing.
We are pleased to announce that the Schumacher Racing web site, designed and maintained by Centreline 2000, has won an industry award as BEST OF THE WEB. The award, from the R/C Vehicles Guide, was given because "a combination of compelling content, outstanding design and your obvious desire to be the best, has made your site truly one of the best in the radio control hobby," said Hank Hagquist, editor of the R/C Vehicles Guide. This underlines the value of a web site in making your mark within your trade sector. Although this may not mean much on the world scale, within Schumachers market place this is very significant. As Tim Walden, MD of Schumacher says, "Schumacher are the top company in Europe for 1/10 electric in both Off Road and Scale Saloons so this is an attempt to convince the American racer that life does not begin and end with American cars." Small spend - big results Competing against American and Japanese manufacturers with much larger US marketing budgets the web site is a key weapon in the battle for market share. The web site has shown how small marketing spends can have significant results. Schumacher products can be ordered on-line over the web and orders are coming in regularly. The site also features a very active "Pitstop Chat" - a place where Schumacher users all over the world can discuss the benefits of the vehicles, swap hints and tips and get advice direct from the Schumacher technicians. You can see Schumacher Racing on-line at www.racing-cars.com
Uniplex V8.10 is Year 2000 compliant, (or very nearly) however there are some changes that you need to be aware of in order to ensure trouble free running into the 21st century. Firstly, there are two components which don't work in past 2000, udate - which inserts dates into documents, and card index. Udate replaces $DATE in documents with the print date, this won't work correctly and needs to be replaced with your Unix date command. There are a number of places where this is used:
UAP/cmds/pprint and scrprint
Where you may have had a line such as:
DT=`udate "+%d +%h 19%y"` Card Index just simply doesn't handle 2000+ date fields. None of the vanilla Uniplex card index files use the date field, but if your own application does then you really little choice but to move to using a database instead. Configuration Changes To ensure that Uniplex is configured for Year 2000 you must make changes to the UAP/uniplex.sys file. Specifically you need to modify or add the fields:
DATEMODE="C41DQF" This will need to be recompiled using syscomp. Be aware that individual users files will need replacing (see earlier Newsline issues on preserving user entries in this case). This is described more fully in the V8.10 online technical guide. Year 2000 and the Uniplex Database Usql can contain either 2-digit or 4-digit dates, but be warned, if only 2 digits are entered then the database will accept this always as a 1900 date. The good news is that it will not accept "00" as the year, so you should be able to spot any bad entries. Uform, for database screen forms, will handle 4-digit dates, but you may need to modify existing screens to accommodate the extra length of fields. The database switches to 4-digits when the 'DQ' flags are set in DATEFMT. Ufill, the screen builder, like Uform, will need any existing screens modified to allow the extra length dates to be entered. This is controlled by the 'F' flag in DATEFMT. Note, that you will need to check both the screen template section and the commands section to ensure that any date fields are handled correctly by the commands programs - which may be external to Uniplex. Mail and Calendar Dates Both Mail and Time Manager will show only 2-digit dates. After all, the context is usually pretty obvious (unless you have some very old e-mail)! Internally these dates are held correctly. Version 7.00 Version 7.00 will mostly conform, and the changes mostly apply. The key V7 failure is in the spreadsheet, which does not successfully handle Year 2000 until V8.00. You may also experience some problems with the database, depending upon which version and machine port you have. Call the support hot-line if you need further information.
We would like to welcome Ian Hutcherson to Centreline 2000. Ian will be taking your technical support calls and managing our automated support system. Of course, you can still speak to one of our senior duty consultants, so our "guarantee-a-guru" promise still applies. We would also like to introduce Claire Melen, who manages our front office functions. And lastly, Lauren Walden joins our sales team to assist in the speedy taking and processing of your orders. These changes will significantly improve upon our efficiency in dealing with your calls and queries and are in direct response to your comments. Meanwhile, as reported last issue, we have moved our central office and the new address and contacts are on the right. |
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Centreline 2000 - Uniplex, Unix, Windows and Internet Arle Court, Hatherley Lane, Cheltenham, GL51 6PN Tel: (UK) 01242 255 000 |
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URL: www.c2000.com/papers/nw_9705.htm © 1995-2001 Centreline 2000 Last Updated: 1st June 1997 |
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