(Nikkei BP Group)
(No.1 High-Tech News Site in Japanese)
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| Fujitsu to Market Thin Client NC Product Line
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November 26, 1998 (TOKYO) -- Fujitsu Ltd. said it will introduce its
BusinessTerminal Administration Server (BTS) NC server software and
BusinessTerminal 300 (BT300) NC terminal in late January 1999.
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With such a large-scale entry of a major maker into the Network Computer
market, competition in the industry is expected to heat up.
Fujitsu will deliver a thin client-type NC, based on a standard proposed
by Oracle Corp.
Four Japanese companies, including Funai Electric Co., Ltd., have shipped
NC terminals complying with the thin-client standard.
However, as for NC server software conforming to the Oracle standard,
so far only Network Computer Inc. (NCI, an Oracle subsidiary), has provided
a server software package called NC Administration Server.
BTS is an NC server software package designed to run on Windows NT or
Solaris. Fujitsu worked to expand the functions of NCI products.
The software is equipped with the same basic functions as conventional
NCI products, but some functions were added, including NC terminal operation
and remote operation features.
BTS can provide the centralized monitoring of temperature inside an NC
terminal and operating state of fans, as well as unified management
of the connection state of each NC terminal, as well as alarm information,
Fujitsu said. BTS is also equipped with a function to control the power
supply to an NC terminal.
The microprocessor for the BT300NC terminal is the 266MHz AMD-K6E, for
a level of performance equivalent to new PCs.
Fujitsu has designed a strong marketing strategy for the NC terminal
business.
"NC terminals will become widely available through a step-by-step process
of replacing mainframes and office computers. So far, PCs have been
the sole substitute for a dedicated terminal, which makes such replacement
expensive for enterprises that use multifunction PCs for specific operations,"
said Hideaki Ebine, a Fujitsu software manager (software division 3).
Fujitsu will deliver terminal emulators running on BTS and corresponding
to WWW. They are called "Webjet for NC," an emulator for providing only
a viewing function, and "WSMGR for NC," an emulator featuring a printing
function.
For the time being, Fujitsu will continue to position NC terminals as
rivals to PCs," according to Ebine.
The price of Fujitsu's entry-type PC with a microprocessor similar to
that of the BT300 is set at 188,000 yen (US$1,545). Fujitsu started
delivering this new PC line for corporate clients in mid-November.
Fujitsu said that the price of the BT300, with an additional one-user
license of BTS, is 168,000 yen (US$1,380). The BT300 is 20,000 yen less
expensive than an entry-type PC, according to Fujitsu.
(Nikkei
Computer)
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