CSI Business Solutions (215.945.8100) is offering a thin-client, Java-based, terminal emulator and Web server solution this month. The solution is a combination of MiniSoft's Javelin thin-client terminal emulator and QWEBS, an all-3000 Web browser from Quintessential School Systems (QSS). CSI Business Solutions is offering the packages in bundled pricing, along with free support for a limited time.
The solution delivers a commercially supported Web browser and client interfaces ready for HP 3000 applications -- albeit without any SSL security -- while HP is working on a port of Netscape FastTrack that won't be available for six months.
Initial pricing of the CSI bundle is user-based rather than machine-tier based, reflecting the new pricing model that springs from Internet-based solutions. Introductory prices start at $1,250 for a five-user license of both the QWEBS Web server and the Javelin product for the specified number of concurrent users. A 10-user license is $1,800, a 25-user license is $3,100 a 50-user license is $4,950 and 100-user licenses cost $7,950. An unlimited user license is $15,500.
Javelin is a Java-based, thin-client terminal emulation product providing full MS/VT, 2392 and 700/94 support. (See "New Java emulator connects users to 3000s," September 3000 NewsWire.) QWEBS is the only totally-native MPE/iX-based Web server, which means it will function with MPE/iX 4.0 and above and does not require Posix or the use of the HFS file structure (HFS is supported in QWEBS, just not mandatory).
CSI president Joe Geiser said the bundle is being targeted at the HP 3000 site that doesn't want to use freeware, Posix, HFS or Windows NT while deploying an intranet solution under MPE/iX.
"The combination of these two products provides for a total HP 3000 solution," Geiser said, "one which should be attractive to those users who do not have a Windows NT system or have not ventured into using the Apache or NCSA Web servers. The bundle should also be very attractive for mobile users with notebook computers -- Javelin requires only 300K of disk space on the client, as opposed to the 4 to 8Mb required by more typical emulators available today."
The bundle includes a fully functioning version of QWEBS, which can be used for intranet tasks other than just serving the MiniSoft Javelin thin-client terminal emulator. (For information on QWEBS in action at an HP 3000 site see "A Tale of Two Web Servers" in our April 1997 3000 NewsWire.)
CSI has also posted upgrade pricing for the solution when a site is ready to increase its number of concurrent Javelin licenses. Moving from five users to 10 costs $555, for example, while an upgrade from a five-user license to a 50-user license is priced at $3,755.
CSI is offering free support, including all updates, during the first year of service for all of the bundle licenses purchased through the end of 1997. After that time, support will be 20 percent of the price of the license purchased. CSI support will be offered by phone during normal business hours (8 AM to 8 PM EDT), as well as by e-mail to support@csillc.com anytime.
Geiser posted a demo of the solution and had the product tested by outside sites before making the announcement of the pricing structure. "This product was tested by folks on [the HP 3000 newsgroup]," Geiser said, "and in two days after announcement of the demo, over 1,100 hits, not including repeat visitors, were recorded." The demo download package is 64K. The demo can also be run directly from www.csillc.com/msqss.html.
To use the demo, users must be running Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.02, Build 1300 or higher, which includes Internet Explorer 4.0 Preview 2 or the released version of MSIE 4.0. The download file containing the Java applet is digitally signed for the user's protection using Authenticode. CSI is also adding Netscape Signed Objects support for use by Netscape browsers. The Internet Explorer browser, or updates for Authenticode for version 3.02 are available online from www.microsoft.com/ie/.