Solaris x86
Karl Keyte, ESOC Darmstadt
- Is it fully available now (not early-release)
- Which version (2.0, 2.1, 2.2, etc)
- How much does it cost
- Where can I obtain it from (and/or more info.)
- What's supplied with it as standard
- What documentation comes with the package
- Are there any special hardware requirements or limitations
Answers to all or some of these questions would be greatly appreciated.
Please answer to me directly at: KKE...@ESOC.BITNET
Thanks,
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Karl Keyte Phone: +(49) 6151 902041
European Space Operations Centre Fax: +(49) 6151 904041
Robert-Bosch Strasse 5, D-6100 Darmstadt, Germany
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John P. McNeely
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The Florida SunFlash
SUNSOFT DELIVERS SOLARIS FOR X86
SunFLASH Vol 51 #33 March 1993
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Contact: Shernaz Daver
Phone: 415-336-0678
Org: SunSoft, Inc.
Contact: Claudia Carasso
Org: Hi-Tech Communications
Phone: (415) 904-7000
First Software Environment To Run Across Leading RISC And CISC Processors
Expanded Sales Force, Distributors And Resellers To Sell Product
SANTA CLARA. Calif., March 29, 1993 -- SunSoft, Inc. today announced
shipment of its Solaris for x86 distributed computing environment.
This makes Solaris the first software environment on the market to run
seamlessly across the highest volume RISC and CISC processor
architectures, SPARC and x86. The announcement was made at the annual
Solaris Developer Conference which was attended by more than 1,700
international software developers and system manufacturers.
To fulfill demand for the new product, SunSoft, the world's leading
UNIX software company, has created a corporate sales force across 11
sites worldwide with a presence in more than 45 countries. The largest
U.S. software distributors -- Ingram, Merisel, Tech Data, Access
Graphics and Gates F/A -- today announced that they will sell the
Solaris x86 product. More than 2,000 resellers in the U.S. alone have
been authorized to sell the software. Leading system manufacturers such
as AST Research, CompuAdd, Dell Computer Corp., Toshiba, and Zenith
Data Systems plan to support Solaris on their desktop machines, servers
or multiprocessor systems. Solaris x86 will also run on systems from
many other computer companies including Acer, Apricot, Compaq, Gateway,
IBM, NCR and NEC. In addition, Sun Microsystems Computer Corp., (SMCC)
will add Solaris x86 to its end user price list.
More than 7,500 32-bit applications -- the largest base in the world --
are migrating to the Solaris for x86 software, including products from
Computer Associates, Oracle, Frame Technology, Interleaf and Lotus
Development Corp. In addition, SunSoft today demonstrated new
technology that will allow Windows and DOS applications to run under
Solaris.
"Today, we deliver on the promise of Solaris --- a single software
environment running seamlessly across the largest volume RISC and CISC
microprocessors," said Edward J. Zander, president of SunSoft. "By
combining the features of high-end computing -- built-in networking,
multiprocessing, system and network administration, security -- with
the ease of use of personal computers, Solaris is the optimal software
platform for enterprise computing."
"Solaris has been very successful in providing leading technologies for
internetworking in large scale environments," said G. Glenn Henry,
senior vice president of Dell Computer Corporation's product group.
"Solaris for Intel will build on that success and will enable increased
deployment of Dell solutions for enterprise-wide client-server
networks."
SOLARIS FEATURES
Solaris for x86 is a feature-for-feature port of SunSoft's popular
Solaris for SPARC software. Solaris offers numerous technologies, all
shrink-wrapped on a single Compact Disc (CD). These technologies were
designed to make enterprise computing powerful yet simple, enabling
large companies to run their global business on a single software
solution. Some of the features in Solaris are:
Built-in Networking - the foundation for running an enterprise, the
industry-standard Solaris ONC+ networking technology allows users to
access, share and control information across workgroups, departments
and the enterprise. It seamlessly connects legacy systems, such as
minis and mainframes, with workstations and PCs, giving users
transparent access to data anywhere in the world. HP, IBM, Santa Cruz
Operation, Univel and USL will adopt ONC+ as part of the
recently-announced common open software environment. ONC+ builds on the
Solaris ONC technology which has an installed base of more than 4
million nodes.
Symmetric Multiprocessing and Multithreading - technologies
that unleash the power of systems by allowing applications to
take full advantage of the microprocessor architecture. Multithreading
speeds up I/O processing and concurrency, critical to applications such
as databases running across client/server systems.
JumpStart - "hands off" automatic network installation of Solaris,
enabling system administrators to install and configure hundreds of
systems across the network simultaneously with no user interaction
required.
Network Profiling - feature allowing system administrators to remotely
tailor machines for particular types of users, automatically giving
each one the right hardware, software and applications needed to run
their business.
System Administration - host of tools to connect and configure systems
remotely and set up print services anywhere in an enterprise computing
environment.
ToolTalk - object-oriented interapplication communication software
which enables users to "broadcast and receive" data between
off-the-shelf applications across networks. More than 50 software
developers and computer manufacturers have adopted ToolTalk. ToolTalk
will be incorporated into the common open software environment.
Graphics - suite of industry-standard technologies that provide
software developers with the features required to develop 2D-3D
geometry-based graphics applications.
DeskSet - suite of 15 productivity applications, including workgroup
calendar manager, multimedia mail, networked file manager and audio
tool, providing users with an easy-to-use intuitive desktop
environment.
APPLICATIONS
Several companies demonstrated products for Solaris x86 here today.
These include Oracle and Progress in the database arena, Interleaf and
Island Graphics in the desktop productivity space; and AimTech and
SunPro in the development software area.
More than 300 applications are in the process of moving to the Solaris
x86 software. Users can access the more than 1,800 applications in the
process of porting from Solaris 1.x to 2.x by downloading them from a
Solaris SPARC server to an x86-based client. Also, many of the 2,000
INTERACTIVE UNIX System applications will run on Solaris x86.
Leading PC vendors including Adobe, Autodesk, Borland, Lotus
Development Corp., WordPerfect, and major commercial software
companies, such as ASK/Ingres, Computer Associates, Legent, Oracle and
Sybase offer packages for SunSoft's Solaris. Several next-generation
distributed applications, such as Lotus Notes, Gain Momentum and Applix
Aster*x also take advantage of the features in Solaris.
SunSoft will release CDWare for Solaris x86 applications this summer.
CDWare is SunSoft's popular distribution program that allows end users
to browse and shop for software at their desktops and gives vendors a
channel to promote and distribute their products to a large base of
Solaris users.
DISTRIBUTION CHANNELS
SunSoft today unveiled a comprehensive channel architecture for the
Solaris x86 software environment. The architecture is two-tiered and
comprised of:
Corporate Sales Force
SunSoft has established a corporate sales force in the United States,
Europe and Asia, whose sole objective is to generate product demand
that will be fulfilled exclusively through indirect channels. This will
be augmented by OEM sales forces such as the SMCC organization of more
than 6,000 people worldwide. SunSoft's direct sales force has already
begun working with large corporate accounts including 3M, Amoco, DuPont
and Federal Express.
"We have been quite pleasantly surprised at both the performance and
the robustness of Solaris on Intel processors," said David A. Pensak,
corporate advisor for computing technology at DuPont.
Indirect: Distributors, Resellers and OEMs
SunSoft has set up a network of distributors, resellers and system
manufacturers to sell Solaris. SunSoft will sell Solaris to national
and super regional distributors such as Ingram, Merisel, Tech Data,
Access Graphics and Gates F/A. These distributors, in turn, will sell
the product through their large network of resellers nationwide,
expanding the Solaris distribution base to more than 2,000 outlets.
In Europe, Solaris will be distributed through major houses including
Bacher, Bytek, DSD, ComTrad, Merisel Europe, Skrobona and Technology.
The product will be distributed through Tech Pacific in Australia. In
addition, x86 system manufacturers will deliver Solaris to end users.
SunSoft also announced a value added reseller (VAR) recruitment program
designed to educate the reseller channel on selling 32-bit computing
solutions. The program consists of three components: training and
education, sales and lead generation activities, and marketing and
merchandising support.
SERVICE AND SUPPORT
In a related announcement, SunSoft today signed a non-exclusive
contract with Sun's worldwide customer support organization to provide
end user service and support for the Solaris x86 environment. The group
has more than 450 UNIX software professionals at 24 support centers
across the world. SunSoft is expected to announce additional Authorized
Service Partners later this year.
PRICING AND AVAILABILITY
SunSoft's Solaris x86 product will ship in the following
configurations: Solaris Desktop for the client desktop priced at $795
in single quantity. The package is designed to give the individual
user the power of the enterprise though a single intuitive, easy-to-use
desktop. It contains the Solaris system software including SunOS 5.0,
ONC+ networking, multiprocessing, system and network administration,
installation, security, the OpenWindows development environment,
ToolTalk, graphics, Solaris LIVE! and the DeskSet.
Solaris Workgroup Server for the small network of 50 users at $1,995 in
single quantity. The package is designed to give a network of users
access to print servers, file servers and networking servers, and
exchange workgroup data and applications with one another. It includes
all of the Solaris Desktop features and additional technologies such as
server networking, naming services and remote system administration.
Solaris Enterprise Server for thousands of users across the world priced at
$5,995 in single quantity.
This edition is the software engine for a global enterprise allowing for
compute-intensive tasks, data transaction processing and high-performance
multiprocessing. The product incorporates all of the Solaris Workgroup
technologies and adds advanced system administration, commercial grade
I/O security and enterprise-wide installation.
Solaris Software Developer's Kit for software developers at $495 in
single quantity. The product allows software developers to take full
advantage of the Solaris environment to create next-generation
applications. It includes the Solaris Desktop product, development
tools, compilers and developer-specific documentation.
Solaris Driver Developer's Kit for hardware developers at $195 in
single quantity. This package is designed for hardware developers to
create and test drivers to control their devices under the Solaris x86
environment. It consists of the Solaris Desktop and a suite of
device-driver tools and documentation.
SunSoft's distributors will take orders immediately for the Solaris
Desktop, Solaris Workgroup Server, Solaris Software Developer's Kit and
Solaris Driver Developer's Kit for delivery in 60 days.
Product and VAR program inquiries should be directed to SunSoft at
510-460-3267 in the United States and to local SunSoft offices in
Europe and Asia.
SunSoft, headquartered in Mountain View, Calif., is a subsidiary of Sun
Microsystems, Inc. The company has offices in North America, Europe and
Asia. SunSoft is a leading supplier of 32-bit system software solutions
for SPARC and Intel 80386/486-based computers. The products are
licensed by SunSoft and distributed through major computer
manufacturers and resellers worldwide.
###
(c) 1993 Sun Microsystems, Inc. SunSoft, Solaris, SunOS, ONC+, ONC,
OpenWindows, ToolTalk, JumpStart, DeskSet, Solaris LIVE! are trademarks
or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. SPARC is a
registered trademark of SPARC International, Inc. UNIX is a registered
trademark of UNIX System Laboratories. INTERACTIVE is a trademark of
Kodak, Inc. Intel is a registered trademark of Intel Corporation. All
other products or service names mentioned herein are trademarks of
their respective owners.
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