Tuesday August 19 10:59 AM EDT
Company Press Release
Source: ON Technology Corporation
ON Technology and Sun Microsystems Team Up to Provide
Comprehensive Networked PC Client Management
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Aug. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- ON Technology Corporation (Nasdaq:ONTC) and Sun
Microsystems, Inc. (Nasdaq:SUNW) today announced the capability to deliver complementary products
that extend the manageability of networked PCs.
This new combination of technologies enables full client control of Windows 3.x-, 95- and NT-based PCs
from highly reliable Sun network servers, such as the new Ultra Enterprise 450 workgroup server. The
immediate benefits to customers include greatly reduced cost of managing existing conventional PCs
attached to networks by virtually eliminating the need to physically dispatch technicians to solve any
software-related PC problem.
ON Command Comprehensive Client Manager (CCM), from ON Technology, is an enterprise-class
management system for standard PC hardware platforms that eliminates the hands-on labor generally
associated with software installs and changes. ON Command CCM reduces the most critical cost
components in desktop software management, including operating system (OS) upgrades and re-installs,
such as Windows 95 and NT; deployment of new enterprise-wide applications, such as SAP R/3; and
remote PC and software configuration, such as printer assignments, drivers and browser attributes.
Together with Sun's highly reliable and scaleable network server hardware, ON Command CCM allows
helpdesk and technical support administrators to perform complex PC re-configuration and re-boot
operations remotely across the network on many PCs simultaneously without the need to physically visit
the desktops.
This unusual combination of leading-edge technologies pushes the availability of desktop management
literally to the point of initial power on
even before the PC client's OS is active. The new solutions offer Total
Cost of Ownership (TCO) savings approximating that promised by emerging NetPCs
without foregoing the flexibility offered in the standard PC platform.
ON Command CCM's client management agents are loaded from the network before the PC boots
without the need for intervention at the network client. CCM operates on any Windows 3.11, 95 or NT
client, allowing all clients to be centrally managed from Unix- or NT-based servers. This new, so-called
``Managed PC'' offers the ability to repair or upgrade PCs from the central helpdesk without the need to
send technicians to the desktop and without the need to train desktop users in any way. The Unix server
software coupled with ON's PC client management solution is invaluable in managing heterogeneous
client/server-based solutions, such as SAP, Baan, PeopleSoft or Oracle applications, and increases return
on investment for interoperable UnixPC network environments.
ON Command CCM has been successfully deployed in Europe for more than five years and is currently
managing large PC networks for customers such as Deutsche Telekom and Munich International Airport.
CCM version 2.3 was made available to U. S. customers earlier this year following an acquisition by ON
Technology of csd Software GmbH, a leading German technology provider. More than 100,000 client
licenses are currently active in Germany alone.
``ON Command CCM has proven itself to be a tremendous instrument for lowering our operational costs
at the airport,'' said Josef Spitzlberger, network administration director, Munich International Airport.
Munich International Airport currently employs dual Sun SPARC servers to manage software distribution
and client configuration for a 500 PC network that has more than 300 applications, including SAP R/3.
The Munich airport's helpdesk operation is currently manned by only two staff, including only one
technician. Beyond operational cost benefits, CCM offers the assurance of continuous ADP operations on
all PCs in the network, providing both availability and security to the airport's highly sensitive and
mission-critical computing environment.
``By working together to extend centralized PC client management across the boundaries of operating
systems and heterogeneous networking environments, Sun and ON deliver today on the promise of
interoperability and scalability, providing compelling return on investment value to our mutual customers
seeking to solve the problems of comprehensive desktop management,'' said Roy Sanford, vice president,
ON Technology.
``ON Technology's ON Command CCM is a solution that goes beyond simple Unix-Windows
interoperability; it enables a whole new model in which you can actually manage PCs from a powerful and
highly reliable Unix environment,'' said Mark Tolliver, vice president of market development, Sun
Microsystems Computer Company. ``We see a more powerful workgroup emerging that combines
enterprise-class technology and network-centric capabilities with PC flexibility and affordability. Products
such as ON Command CCM will play key roles in the move toward the new enterprise workgroup.''
About ON Technology
ON Technology Corporation is a leading provider of network and client management software solutions,
with revenues of more than $50 million in 1996. ON's network management family includes ON Command
Comprehensive Client Manager, ON Command SofTrack Software Metering and ON Command Remote.
More information about ON may be accessed through the company's home page on the World Wide Web
at on.com. A public company trading on the Nasdaq National Market under the symbol
ONTC, ON Technology is headquartered in Cambridge, Mass. and has offices located around the world.
About Sun Microsystems, Inc.
Since its inception in 1982, a singular vision, ``The Network Is The Computer(TM),'' has propelled Sun
Microsystems, Inc., to its position as a leading provider of hardware, software and services for
establishing enterprise-wide intranets and expanding the power of the Internet. With more than $8 billion in
annual revenues, Sun can be found in more than 150 countries and on the World Wide Web at
sun.com.
NOTE: ON Technology, ON, the ON logo, ON Command Comprehensive Client Manager, ON
Command CCM, SofTrack and ON Command Remote are trademarks or registered trademarks of ON
Technology Corporation in the United States and other countries. Sun, the Sun logo, Sun Microsystems,
Ultra Enterprise and The Network is the Computer are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun
Microsystems, Inc. in the United States and other countries. All SPARC trademarks are under license and
are trademarks or registered trademarks of SPARC International, Inc. in the United State and other
countries. Products bearing the SPARC trademark are based upon architecture developed by Sun
Microsystems, Inc.
SOURCE: ON Technology Corporation |
