Wall Data Combines Thin and Fat Client Solutions Into One Package
Bundling both thin client and fat client solutions into one package,
Wall Data Inc. (Kirkland, Wash.) has released RUMBA Office 2000, Web edition, a product that runs on the AS/400. RUMBA Office 2000, Web edition is made up of two components: RUMBA Office 2000 provides the fat client host access, while RUMBA 2000 Web-to-host provides the thin client browser-based host access.
"Our customers were looking for a cost-effective solution that gave them cutting-edge, traditional host access, but also a migration path to a thin-client or Web-to-host solution in the future," says Debbie Newton, product marketing manager at Wall Data. "RUMBA Web edition gives customers both products in one bundle, giving them the flexibility they need to tailor a deployment strategy to fit their organizational needs."
According to Wall Data, many of their customers wanted to implement new browser-based access but were unable to do so because of Y2K projects. "The same people that evaluate and test a host solution are responsible for Y2K compliance," says David Dennis, spokesperson for Wall Data. "They didn't have time to evaluate a new platform for their host-access needs, so they not only wanted traditional host access but also the ability to easily migrate to Web-to-host in the future once they are done dealing with Y2K."
RUMBA Office 2000 allows users with Windows-based PCs to work with applications residing on virtually any host system within any network environment. RUMBA 2000 Web-to-host gives companies a host access solution that allows users to work productively with host-based information within their Web browser.
Although the two products do not work together, they can still coexist on the same platform. Therefore, a company can program RUMBA 2000 Web edition to give one group of employees fat client access and another thin client access.
"The recent consolidation of Wall Data's Web-to-host technologies returns the company focus exclusively to the host-access market and provides us with a tremendous technology base for new product development," says Kevin Vitale, president and CEO of Wall Data. "We are responding to our customers' needs by offering the most complete line of host-access solutions. RUMBA 2000 Web edition is part of that strategy."
In other company news, Wall Data recently announced the availability of RUMBA Management Server 3.0 (RMS). RMS provides customers with centralized Web-to-host management and deployment capabilities that allow users to easily access multiple host sessions simultaneously through a browser-based channel interface.