NETRON FUSION INTRODUCED FOR LARGE-SCALE CLIENT/SERVER AND MAINFRAME DEVELOPMENT; Open, Scalable Product Represents Breakthrough In Reuse.TORONTO, Ontario--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 20, 1995--Building robust yet flexible large- scale applications for both client/server and mainframe environments has become faster and easier with today's announcement of Netron Fusion. The product has been designed for developers who want to use one technology to build demanding new applications for both environments while significantly improving delivery time and reducing development costs. Developed by Toronto-based Netron Inc., pioneer in software reuse and Cobol-based development products, Netron Fusion uses a component approach to software reuse, combined with a powerful integrated toolset. It features an open architecture that supports maximum flexibility and provides complete control over the development process. The new product also includes QuickStarts template programs for both mainframe and client/server that give developers a head start by providing a framework for the rapid development of new applications. The QuickStarts consist of program specifications, class libraries, screens, and sample files that can be used immediately. Developers can use the QuickStarts to rapidly prototype applications and then iteratively refine the prototypes based on users' feedback. "What we've achieved with Netron Fusion is our vision to provide productive, easy to use development technology that delivers a breakthrough in reuse," said Andy Staniewski, president of Netron Inc. "It's open and scalable and it offers unlimited platform capabilities. It gives you a lot of what you require out of the box, with the flexibility to adapt which is essential for building core systems." Long Island Lighting Co. (LILCO LILCO Long Island Lighting Company ), an experienced user of Netron's application construction software, is migrating from departmental mainframe-based systems to a client/server environment that will be more responsive to customer needs. "We have used Netron's reuse technology successfully at LILCO for a number of years. In that time we have built a strong infrastructure of class libraries for our systems. We expect Netron Fusion to allow us to utilize that infrastructure more quickly, easily, and productively," said Maura Gilchrist, senior technical specialist in Project Support at LILCO. Client/Server and Mainframe Support Netron Fusion allows developers to build or enhance mainframe, midrange and workstation-based systems or build client/server combinations of these systems. It supports distributed client/server architectures and allows developers to build multiple tiers using major databases (for example DB/2, DL/1, VSAM (Virtual Storage Access Method) An IBM access method for storing data, widely used in IBM mainframes. It uses the B+tree method for organizing data. VSAM - Virtual Storage Access Method , Oracle, Sybase, and any database accessible from Cobol) and communication protocols (TCP/IP TCP/IP in full Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol Standard Internet communications protocols that allow digital computers to communicate over long distances. , APPC (Advanced Program-to-Program Communications) A high-level protocol from IBM that allows one program to interact with another across the network. It supports client/server and distributed computing by providing a common programming interface on all IBM platforms. , CPI-C (Common Programming Interface for Communications) A general-purpose communications interface under IBM's SAA. Using APPC verbs as its foundation, it provides a common programming interface across IBM platforms. See APPC. , NetBIOS, Named Pipes, CICS (Customer Information Control System) A TP monitor from IBM that was originally developed to provide transaction processing for IBM mainframes. It controls the interaction between applications and users and lets programmers develop screen displays without LU6.2) Netron Fusion also enables flexible partitioning of client/server applications. For mainframe development, it supports high-volume transaction-based applications executed under CICS or IMS (1) See IP Multimedia Subsystem. (2) (Information Management System) An early IBM hierarchical DBMS for IBM mainframes. IMS was widely implemented throughout the 1970s under MVS and continues to be used under z/OS. . "Equally important as the advances in new development is the maintenance and enhancement of existing Cobol-based systems, where Netron has long enjoyed the leadership position in enabling customers to build reusable components," said Netron's Staniewski. He added that unlike some application products, Netron's solutions do not require developers to abandon Cobol. "Given the years of development and financial investment of Cobol in business today, our customers would not tolerate any advance that required them to discard those systems." Maximizes a Proven Reuse Technology The reuse engine in Netron Fusion is based on a powerful object-oriented software construction technology which has been proven to reduce costs by 84% and compress development time by 70%. The findings come from an independent study conducted by QSM QSM Queen's Service Medal (New Zealand) QSM Quality System Manual QSM Quantitative Software Management, Inc (McClean, VA) QSM Quality Assurance and Safety of Medicines (WHO) Associates, a leading firm of software project auditors based in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. QSM analyzed software development projects at nine large organizations, including Chemical Bank, Ameritech, and Revenue Canada, which all used Netron's reuse technology to build new applications, and compared these systems against 3,800 international projects. Key Components of Netron Fusion's Integrated Workplace o QuickStarts-three families of pre-configured template programs that compress the time it takes to deliver new systems to end users: GUI (Graphical User Interface) A graphics-based user interface that incorporates movable windows, icons and a mouse. The ability to resize application windows and change style and size of fonts are the significant advantages of a GUI vs. a character-based interface. Client/Server Maintenance, Mainframe-based Maintenance, and Batch. o QuickFuse-an integrated set of utilities for importing Cobol record layouts, DDL (1) (Data Description Language) A language used to define data and their relationships to other data. It is used to create the data structure in a database. Major database management systems (DBMSs) use a SQL data description language. , and Bachman analyst data models into the Netron Fusion environment. o designers for creating and editing windows, reports and screens. Developers can design graphical user interfaces without having to learn new languages or complex API requirements. o Netron's Reusable Object Manager which catalogs reusable software components including class libraries, subroutines, copy libraries, macros, skeleton programs, and documentation and allows developers to browse through these components when planning new applications. o mature class libraries which have evolved over 14 years of use in thousands of programs around the world. o a program structure analyzer that allows developers to examine the structure of their programs and the reusable components being used. o diagnostic tools for impact analysis and for generating reuse statistics to measure productivity. Cross-Platform Support Netron Fusion offers an open range of cross-platform support. Native Cobol applications can be designed, tested and constructed on PC workstations for execution under OS/2, MS-DOS MS-DOS in full Microsoft Disk Operating System Operating system for personal computers. MS-DOS was based on DOS, developed in 1980 by Seattle Computer Products. Microsoft Corp. bought the rights to DOS in 1981, and released MS-DOS with IBM's PC that year. , AIX (Advanced Interactive eXecutive) IBM's Unix-based operating system which runs on its Intellistation workstations and pSeries, p5, iSeries and i5 server families. , HP-UX HP's version of Unix that runs on its 9000 family. It is based on SVID and incorporates features from BSD Unix along with several HP innovations. (operating system) HP-UX - The version of Unix running on Hewlett-Packard workstations. , VMS, OS/400, MVS/TSO MVS/TSO Multiple Virtual Storage / Time Sharing Option and DOS/VSE (Disk Operating System/Virtual Storage Extended) An IBM multiuser, multitasking operating system that was widely used on IBM's 43xx series. It used to be called DOS, but due to the abundance of DOS PCs, was later renamed VSE. as well as CICS and IMS. Program types can be event-driven, batch or on-line, and databases targeted include any database accessible from Cobol. Pricing and Availability Netron Fusion is available immediately and is priced at $9,500 per copy. Netron is a leading provider of development products and services that leverage reuse to deliver enterprise-scale commercial applications for both client/server and host-centric environments. Founded in 1981, the company has offices in Canada and the United States The United States and Canada share a unique legal relationship. U.S. law looks northward with a mixture of optimism and cooperation, viewing Canada as an integral part of U.S. economic and environmental policy. , and distributors worldwide. -0- Netron Fusion is a trademark of Netron Inc. All other names are trademarks of their respective holders. CONTACT: Rick Strosberg, Netron Inc. (416) 636-8334, Ext. 266 OR Ed Bride (508) 529-3544 INDUSTRY KEYWORD: COMED COMPUTERS/ELECTRONICS PRODUCT REPEATS: New York 212-575-8822 or 800-221-2462; Boston 617-330-5311 or |
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