Sybase PowerSite puts you on the Web
It's only just been released, but Sybase's PowerSite Enterprise 1.0 has already gained support from across the industry. The product is an application development environment for building, managing and deploying enterprise Web applications. It is a key component of Sybase's PowerStudio business development suite.
Partners working with Sybase on PowerSite include Aranex, Kiva Software, Microsoft, Netscape, and NetDynamics.
PowerSite allows developers to create thin-client business applications using standard Web technologies such as HTML, Dynamic HTML, scripting languages and components including JavaBeans and Active X. Users can then deploy those applications on the Internet using a Web application server.
E-commerce facility
PowerSite also enables Web developers to build secure applications that interface with transaction servers, including Sybase's Jaguar CTS, Microsoft's MTS and Kiva's Enterprise Server. This allows users to bring e-commerce, financial and other sophisticated applications to the Web. Support for other servers can be added to PowerSite through a soon-to-be-available SDK.
PowerSite lets teams of developers work together on applications by adding manageability to the environment. Its Component Manager is a scalable RDBMS-based Web Object Management System for managing constantly changing Web resource (HTML, scripts and components). The Component Manager's features include component reuse, version control, rollback recovery and assignment of roles and levels of authorisation through its integrated security management system. PowerSite can import, or "slurp" existing sites into the Component Manager, allowing management control.
The product also provides a development environment for professional developers. It features the DataWindow Design-Time Control, providing rich database support and allows database-centric developers to create true, thin-client Data Windows with no runtime components.
PowerSite supports application development in both Wysiwyg and source mode for HTML/Dynamic HTML. It also presents developers with a tree structure model for supporting the drag and drop of HTML source elements and components onto its editing surfaces. The product also supports editing and debugging client and server-side ECMA Script.
Design-Time Controls (DTCs) are supported, which extends the functionality of the development environment and allows complementary providers to integrate their technologies into Web applications.
PowerSite will be priced at $4495 per developer seat and is available individually or as part of PowerStudio.
Sybase
Tel (02) 9936 8800 Fax (02) 9936 8822
Look who's talking now
Finally Dragon has complied with the wishes of so many of its users and issued an edition of NaturallySpeaking that is compatible with Microsoft Word 97.
The new version, Preferred Edition, incorporates a new NaturalWord module that converts users' words directly into text on-screen. There is also the new Select-and-Say feature that allows editing and formatting via voice commands in Word 97.
Other features in the new edition include support for multiple users, recorded speech and a text to speech function which reads words aloud to users. Additionally the MouseGrid function enables users to move their mouse to any point on the screen and click the mouse, all by saying a few words. NaturallySpeaking has collected a number of gongs in its relatively short life, including Best of Comdex/Spring. Dragon NaturallySpeaking is available for Windows 95 and retails for $799.
Voice Perfect
Tel (03) 9866 5733 Fax (03) 9820 1872
Olicom introduces new family
Olicom has added Plug and Play simplicity to its new family of uplinks. The CrossFire ATM155 Uplinks are said to be the industry's first to deliver true "wire speed" LAN emulation (LANE). Both uplinks provide 155Mbps connection to an ATM backbone, providing token ring LANs with a strategic, cost-effective migration path to ATM.
Two versions of the ATM155 Uplink modules are available: the OC-8320 for UTP-5 copper with a shielded RJ45 connector interface; and the OC-8321 for a 155Mbps Optical Carrier (OC)-3c multimode optical interface. Both links are built around powerful RISC processors and are Universal Expansion Modules that plug into Olicom's recently introduced CrossFire token ring switch (OC-8600).
The switch is the first with application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) and is designed specifically for token ring switching.
Olicom says the OC-8600 can also be equipped with dual ATM uplinks to achieve the fault tolerance required for mission-critical applications and maximum network availability. The ATM155 family of uplinks automatically detect and configure the components necessary for communicating with an ATM network. Olicom says both modules allow installation without expensive wiring upgrades. The uplinks use a dedicated processor for each forwarding direction, as well as another dedicated processor that performs ATM segmentation and reassembly (SAR).
The ATM155 uplinks can process 160,000 64B frames per second in each direction and have a 4MB shared frame buffer memory.
Olicom's CrossFire ATM155 Uplinks for the CrossFire token ring switch are priced at $8110 (RRP) for the OC-8320 and $9270 for the OC-8321.
Olicom Australia
Tel (02) 9955 1755 Fax (02) 9955 8488
Create Web pages from SQR reports
SQRIBE Technologies has enhanced its SQR software to create Web pages from existing reports with no recoding required. The SPF-to-HTML functionality lets companies publish reports onto intranets without redesigning.
SQR is SQRIBE's production reporting software product. Its applications include manufacturing reports, payroll checks and financial statements. SQR runs on a thin-client basis from the server and on any platform where Netscape is supported. The SPF-to-HTML function reads SPF printing files and generates an HTML file. It generates a table of contents file in HTML which can be used to navigate the report.
SQR Server is designed to work with all major databases, with more than 80 database/operating system combinations available. SPF-to-HTML is available free of cost when purchased with SQR Workbench until March 31. SQR operates on Windows 95 and retails for $995.
SQRIBE Technologies
Tel (02) 9975 7600 Fax (02) 9975 7602
