Data General's THiiN Line Shipping SiteStak Web Server Appliance Initial Customers Include Comcast Commercial Online, UltraNet Communications.WESTBORO, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 10, 1997--THiiN Line, a business unit of Data General Corporation, has started shipping its SiteStak web server appliances A self-contained computer system specialized for network use. Its applications are pre-installed, and access to setup and configuration is via a Web browser. Server appliances may provide a single application or several applications; for example, a single device may provide file server, . First customers include Comcast Commercial Online, a part of Fortune 500 cable and communications supplier Comcast Corporation, and UltraNet Communications, Inc., the largest Internet Service Provider Internet service provider (ISP) Company that provides Internet connections and services to individuals and organizations. For a monthly fee, ISPs provide computer users with a connection to their site (see data transmission), as well as a log-in name and password. in New England New England, name applied to the region comprising six states of the NE United States—Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. The region is thought to have been so named by Capt. . Both companies had beta tested A test of new or revised hardware or software that is performed by users at their facilities under normal operating conditions. Beta testing follows alpha testing. Vendors of packaged software often offer their customers the opportunity of beta testing new releases or versions, and the the product. For Comcast Commercial Online, an initial order for SiteStak TW-500 appliances will enable the organization to offer web-hosting services to corporations and schools. "SiteStak web servers will clearly help us win new business," said Franklyn Athias, director of new media systems development for Comcast Commercial Online. "We're growing very fast, both in our user base and in the services we offer," said UltraNet CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. and founder Geoffrey Schultz. "Our SiteStak web servers will play a critical role in helping us control and manage our growing operations." THiiN Line's SiteStak web server appliance was announced in September. The ultra-thin (1.75-inch) SiteStak TW-500 can store 160,000 web pages and handle up to 450 hits per second; at $7999, it delivers up to a three-to-one price/performance advantage over general-purpose web servers. Also, the SiteStak is a true appliance: it requires just two connectors, for power and Ethernet, and it is extremely easy to use. To create a new web site, the user selects Add Web Site from an Internet browser See Web browser. interface, then types in the new web site name -- the rest is done automatically by the SiteStak appliance. "With the SiteStak web server, users can literally go from plugging it in to publishing web pages in five minutes," said Craig Heim, product marketing director for THiiN Line. Beyond setup simplicity, the product's appliance-like nature brings substantial benefits to users. In a recent Planning Assumptions report (http://www.thiin.com/giga.htm), Giga Information Group analyst Richard Fichera wrote "Giga believes that appropriately sized Web appliances See Internet appliance. offer significant advantages in both acquisition and management costs compared to general-purpose servers." Dataquest analyst James Staten noted that the SiteStak web server fits within an emerging "thin server" market that is growing at greater than 200 percent yearly. Dataquest expects the new market to reach 300,000 units worldwide by the year 2000, and more than a million by 2002. Comcast: Expanding Services The SiteStak web servers will give Comcast Commercial Online the capability to host hundreds of organizations' web sites immediately, Athias said. Comcast will then add more SiteStak appliances to what it expects will be a fast growing business in 1998. Comcast selected the SiteStak appliance largely because of the product's ease of use and speed of setup, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. Athias. "With SiteStak, creating a new site takes about two minutes, rather than two hours with a general purpose web server. And I can build that new site -- or I can increase the size of a customer's existing site -- while I'm sitting with the customer, rather than having to go back to the shop. "Ease of access is what the Internet is all about. By using SiteStak, we're able to prove that we know how to make this technology work for us -- and our customers." UltraNet: Supporting Fast Growth UltraNet Communications is going to begin adding multiple SiteStak TW-500 web servers immediately, according to Schultz. "Right now we've got 50,000 dial-up subscribers and 700 dedicated commercial accounts, and we're growing at several hundred percent per year," he said. "Also, soon we'll expand up and down the East Coast, and we just started a new division to specialize spe·cial·ize v. 1. To limit one's profession to a particular specialty or subject area for study, research, or treatment. 2. To adapt to a particular function or environment. in web-hosting, co- location and design. "SiteStak web servers offer very high performance in a compact box, so we can put lots of web sites into tight spaces. That's a critical advantage for us, since we're constantly looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. new space. And they combine heavy duty reliability with simplicity of setup and management -- just what we need to keep up with growth." About THiiN Line THiiN Line is a business unit of Data General Corporation (NYSE NYSE See: New York Stock Exchange :DGN DGN Design (file) DGN Dirección General de Normas (Standards Organization in Mexico) DGN MicroStation Design File (file format/extension) ), which is headquartered in Westboro, Massachusetts. The SiteStak TW-150 and TW-500 web servers are the first members in a family of thin-server and thin-client appliances that THiiN Line is developing and marketing for Internet/intranet applications. For more about THiiN Line, visit http://www.thiin.com on the Internet. Data General specializes in servers, storage systems and related software and services for customers worldwide. The company reported revenues of $1.5 billion during fiscal 1997. Additional information on the company, its products and services is available at http://www.dg.com . -0- THiiN Line and SiteStak are trademarks of Data General Corporation CONTACT: Data General Jim Dunlap 508/898-6546 jim_dunlap@dg.com or Brodeur Porter Novelli Porter Novelli International is a leading, global PR and lobbying firm. It is part of the Omnicom Group of advertising and marketing companies, the world's largest advertising conglomerate. The following article on Porter Novelli was obtained from "Sourcewatch. Rich Guida 617/587-2816 rguida@brodeur.com |
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