Phoenix Technologies Announces RomPilot Pre-Boot Remote Diagnostic and Management Solution; First Software Solution to Deliver a Superset of Wired for Management Requirements.SAN JOSE San Jose, city, United States San Jose (sănəzā`, săn hōzā`), city (1990 pop. 782,248), seat of Santa Clara co., W central Calif.; founded 1777, inc. 1850. , Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 3, 1997--Phoenix Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ NASDAQ in full National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations U.S. market for over-the-counter securities. Established in 1971 by the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD), NASDAQ is an automated quotation system that reports on :PTEC PTEC Pinellas Technical Education Centers (Clearwater, FL) PTEC Pharmacy Technician Educators Council PTEC Psychiatric Technician PTEC Plastics Technical Evaluation Center PTEC Page Table Edit Control ) -- the leading supplier of standards-based compatibility software today announced RomPilot, the industry's first pre-boot software product to enable remote management of PCs when they are unable to load an operating system operating system (OS) Software that controls the operation of a computer, directs the input and output of data, keeps track of files, and controls the processing of computer programs. . Phoenix RomPilot offers a superset A group of commands or functions that exceed the capabilities of the original specification. Software or hardware components designed for the original specification will also operate with the superset product. However, components designed for the superset will not work with the original. of the pre-boot requirements defined in Intel's Wired for Management Wired for Management (WfM) was a primarily hardware-based system allowing a newly built computer without any software to be manipulated by a master computer that could access the hard disk of the new PC to paste the install program. specification. Available in December, RomPilot will be shipped on systems from leading PC manufacturers next year. Phoenix RomPilot resides in the same component as the BIOS, providing PC manufacturers and their customers the ability to monitor a computer's start-up and whether or not the operating system loads. If the operating system does not start or hangs during operation, RomPilot takes over, alerting support staff, and giving them options for diagnosing and reconfiguring the system without having to send someone on-site. With no need for special hardware in a system, RomPilot's multi-threaded kernel provides simultaneous control over communication, BIOS and applications from remote systems. "RomPilot is an excellent example of how manufacturers can improve the overall manageability of today's PCs," said Erik Dieter of Intel's Architecture Labs. "This is the first product we've seen to enhance Wired for Management's capabilities in the pre-boot environment." Phoenix RomPilot includes several important capabilities for improved manageability and flexibility: -- Hardware-independent communications with a network card, a modem or a serial port -- Watchdog services and alert mechanisms for NetWare and Windows NT (Windows New Technology) A 32-bit operating system from Microsoft for Intel x86 CPUs. NT is the core technology in Windows 2000 and Windows XP (see Windows). Available in separate client and server versions, it includes built-in networking and preemptive multitasking. -- Embedded 32-bit kernel to simultaneously control communications In telecommunication, control communications is the branch of technology devoted to the design, development, and application of communications facilities used specifically for control purposes, such as for controlling (a) industrial processes, (b) movement of resources, (c) , BIOS and applications -- Remote execution of downloaded applications -- Secure communication using 512-bit MD5 (Message Digest 5) authentication for each data packet -- A superset of functionality required by Intel's Wired for Management specification "With Wired for Management, Intel has shown the industry how the power and connectivity of today's computers can be used to help diagnose and repair system difficulties," said Tim Bajarin, president of the consulting firm Creative Strategies. "RomPilot adds important capabilities that increase the usefulness of this new standard." RomPilot consists of firmware modules installed in the managed system's ROM - and application modules for remote diagnostics and control. The application modules include a reference remote Management Workstation Application. The application modules also include a Software Developers Kit (SDK (Software Developer's Kit) See developer's toolkit and Windows SDK. SDK - Software Developers Kit (or "Software Development Kit"). ) so OEMs can develop additional added value modules to run on RomPilot managed systems. "RomPilot gives computer manufacturers pre-boot diagnostics and flexible network support with existing system hardware without the cost of installing a separate diagnostic card," explains Steve Andler, vice president of Marketing at Phoenix. "With the RomPilot SDK, OEMs and third party management application developers can expand the range of service and support options available." Phoenix Technologies is the leading innovator and supplier of enabling software and services fundamental to personal computers, servers, peripherals and information appliances. Headquartered in San Jose, CA, Phoenix Technologies is a publicly traded company publicly traded company A company whose shares of common stock are held by the public and are available for purchase by investors. The shares of publicly traded firms are bought and sold on the organized exchanges or in the over-the-counter market. (NASDAQ: PTEC) with offices worldwide including Geneva Geneva, canton and city, Switzerland Geneva (jənē`və), Fr. Genève, canton (1990 pop. 373,019), 109 sq mi (282 sq km), SW Switzerland, surrounding the southwest tip of the Lake of Geneva. , London, Munich, Seoul, Taipei and Tokyo. Information on Phoenix Technologies products is available at: http://www.phoenix.com . -0- Note of Editors: Phoenix is a registered trademark of Phoenix Technologies Ltd. All other trademarks are the property of their owners. CONTACT: Phoenix Technologies Ltd. Tom Benoit, 408/570-1025 thomas_benoit@phoenix.com or The Weber Group Tony Welz, 415/325-8300 twelz@ca.webergroup.com |
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