Esker's Tun PLUS 8.50 Emphasizes New Strategic Positioning in TCP/IP Interoperability Market; Tun PLUS 8.50 Now Shipping.

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 30, 1996--Esker, Inc. announced this week the immediate commercial availability of its flagship product, Tun PLUS 8.50, a new development that confirms Esker's new positioning in the TCP/IP interoperability market. With Tun PLUS 8.50, Esker provides a complete solution for complex heterogeneous environments now and for the future.

Editorial Note: For more detailed information on Tun PLUS 8.50 and its advanced features, please refer to the release dated October 8, 1996, titled, "Esker Announces Major Upgrade to Leading Interoperability Software Suite."

Esker has developed a strategic market definition model to define today's needs generated by the emergence of mixed and complex networking environments and changing industry standards. The model employs two axes: the network axis and the application axis. Tun PLUS 8.50 provides components to satisfy the needs of customers on every axis.

The Network Axis

Esker defines "network" as any communication medium used to exchange data between computers. While TCP/IP has become a standard for Local Area Networks (LANs), those geographically limited networks are increasingly connected to larger, Wide Area Networks (WANs). Esker's Tun PLUS 8.50 component, Tun NET, provides all the software pieces necessary for a complete network solution, from connecting a network for only local application usage, to implementing an Internet/intranet-based information system.

The expanded horizons thus give network managers a new method of distributing data processing and workgroup applications such as e-mail and workflow, while enabling the development of new applications for client/server environments by integrating the WWW, Newsgroups, video-conferencing, etc. In addition, this change in the network environment yields a higher cost savings and a tremendous improvement in the speed of information exchange.

The Application Axis

Generally, applications at the centerpiece of a centralized corporate information system consist of multi-user applications (accounting software, inventory management software, etc.). Over the past decade, usage of these applications has been evolving. In the past, dumb terminals were used to access applications located on a server where all the data processing was taking place. Today, this usage has migrated to a decentralized format where data processing is shared between the server and clients (first step toward client/server architecture). This evolution also makes it possible to use the client resources while accessing server applications. To avoid redevelopment of these server applications for the client/server model, there is only one solution. Terminal emulation enables PCs to access legacy applications located on heterogeneous servers and gives those applications a true Windows look-and-feel. The user can work in an environment that remains familiar and requires almost no training. Other tools like SQL middleware and database revamping tools enable PCs to retrieve and process data from multiple RDBMS servers with ease. The evolution of legacy applications into newer applications for the client/server model is where Esker's Tun EMUL and Tun SQL lie.

The advantages of this evolution are obvious: simultaneous usage of client and server resources; expansion of multi-task and multi-user applications; graphical enhancement of traditional character-based interfaces for better integration; etc. Ultimately, users benefit from investment protection, optimized usage of "old" legacy applications and smooth transition to the client/server model.

The Intersection

Crossing the application and networking axes is where the most problems occur and where most integration problems occur. Complex and ever-changing networks require a centralized point for updating, accessing and monitoring all resources. Tun PLUS' NIS-based server (Network Information Service) enables both administrators and users to easily access, from their desktop, all available network resources (emulation configuration files, printers, servers, URL addresses, etc.) with a powerful new tool -- the NIS browser.

Tun PLUS 8.50's advanced features include: Tun EMUL -- 19 asynchronous and 2 synchronous terminal emulation types; Tun SQL -- SQL middleware for access to multiple RDBMSs and a database revamper for easy data interpretation; and Tun NET -- complete Internet/intranet suite for TCP/IP including resource sharing, e-mail, fax and Netscape Navigator. Esker Inc. maintains offices throughout North America and Europe.

Corporate headquarters are located at 350 Sansome Street, Suite 210 San Francisco, California, 94104 Tel: [phone] Fax: [phone] Internet: [e-mail]. U.R.L.: http://www.esker.com. -0-

Note to Editors: All product names and brand names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

CONTACT: Sterling Communications, Inc.

Alice Y. Aoki, 408/441-4100

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