VisualAge Executive Summary

IBM recently bought an undisclosed percentage of NetObjects and made the Fusion authoring product it's tool of choice for Web development. Fusion's ability to manage a Web site and the relationship between pages far outweighs it's capacity to simply create pages. While Fusion separates the user from the HTML by using representative elements which are placed on the page, it has been widely criticized for creating bad HTML. The company recently released a patch for the 2.0 version which makes the HTML easier to read, but this is not the tools strong point.

Perhaps Fusion's best quality is the fact that NetObjects is determined to keep it's tool open. This openness will allow third parties to add functionality and extend the products existing capabilities. How this openness will transpire is very much up in the air considering IBM's new role, but NetObjects seems to have the resolve necessary to maintain this objective.

As web sites become more and more complex, Fusion should continue to attract users who require comprehensive site management capabilities.

Hatteras Software is introducing the Navigator Modular Education System. The Modular Education System provides users with a free universal course engine. This course engine allows course modules to be plugged in as needed. These modules may be downloaded directly from the Hatteras web site quickly and easily. The Modular Education System is comprehensive education which allows individuals to purchase only the subject matter they need.

The first course modules to be released will be:

• Getting Started with VisualAge for Smalltalk

• Getting Started with VisualAge for Java

• Getting Started with VisualAge Web Connection.

Other course subjects now in development include:

• CORBA / Distributed Objects

• Java Beans

• The ENVY team tool

Keep watching for more information on this innovative approach to learning.

Netscape Communications Corporation and Visigenic Software are working together to advance distributed object computing across the Internet and enterprise intranets. By integrating Visigenic's VisiBroker technology into Netscape Navigator 4.0 and Enterprise Server 3.0, Netscape provides its customers the ability to access and deploy distributed objects. Netscape is also distributing VisiBroker development licenses with Enterprise Server 3.0, and has teamed with Visigenic to jointly develop software that simplifies the work of Java application developers. This close partnership will result in significant benefits to enterprise IT organizations and their ability to develop and deploy applications that leverage the Internet, Java and their existing systems.(As published on the Visigenic Web site)

Bill Gates may actually start paying attention to NC's. Network Computers received a big boost when Citrix and Insignia began offering thin client software which gives Java workstations the ability access and run Windows® applications from Java desktops. Now you can access your Windows apps, Mainframe apps, and UNIX technology from a single workstation.

"The ICA protocol from Citrix is designed to provide high-performance Windows display over low- bandwidth connections, to run over any common transport mechanism, and to require minimal client resources. ICA is the physical line protocol used for communication between the client and the Citrix WinFrame application server" (ICA Technical Paper March 16, 1996).

The NTRIGUE thin client from Insignia, based on the company's open and portable Keoke technology, also allows all Java-supported platforms and browsers to run actual Windows applications. "The client will be bundled on Sun's JavaStations, allowing JavaStation users to connect to an NTRIGUE server and run Windows applications with a simple mouseclick. The NTRIGUE Client for Java extends the reach of Insignia's NTRIGUE Windows NT application server solution to an even wider range of desktops. NTRIGUE allows all enterprise desktops to access Windows applications over the corporate intranet and the Internet" (Insignia Press Release, March 10, 1997).

So don't throw out that old PC yet. It may have a new life as a NC.