October 1, 1998 (TOKYO) -- Visitors at today's World PC Forum heard Microsoft exec Charles Stevens describe real-life uses for Windows DNA in his keynote address. World PC Forum is taking place concurrently with World PC Expo 98.

In his address, Stevens, vice president of Microsoft's Application Developers Customer Unit, described Microsoft's system architecture, Windows DNA, the Windows Distributed Internet Application. Stevens also explained DNS, the Digital Nervous Systems that makes up Microsoft's enterprise system concept based on Windows DNA. Stevens described actual cases of businesses adopting Windows DNA.

Windows DNA is a system architecture with three-tiered structure composed of a client/server system with WWW browser and WWW server.

DNS is a system concept, based on Windows DNA, equipped with an interface that can be integrated into the Web in accordance with existing information systems. The system can also utilize distributed object technology such as COM/DCOM.

A system based on DNA and DNS reduces costs for development and maintenance, Stevens said. He cited the system of Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. as an example of using Windows DNA. Merrill Lynch previously used a system under the IBM MVS/CICS environment. The company upgraded to be able to manage and access data from the Windows NT environment. This made it possible to seamlessly utilize different transaction systems in each department with the Windows NT interface.

As another DNA/DNS case study, he reported on a system called "orderit" by NTT Data Officemart Corp. of Japan. Orderit is an online expendable-supplies purchasing system for corporate users. It enables users to handle a series of processes such as placing orders, receiving supplies, checking the cost for the purchase and so forth, with the WWW browser. The system automatically transfers the results of its conduct to expandable-suppliers.

(Nikkei Byte)