The web caching market is moving from technology towards products, and now Novell Inc has got together with Compaq Computer Corp and new distribution company Pinacor Inc to sell a turnkey web acceleration server. Pinacor is the former distribution arm of Tempe, Arizona-based MicroAge Inc, the $4bn company that restructured into separate distribution and systems integration arms earlier this month. It claims to be the third largest distributor in the US, and is a top-tier Compaq distributor. The new system combines Novell’s BorderManager FastCache Internet caching software with a Compaq ProLiant server, for configuration at the border of any Unix, NT, Macintosh or NetWare network. It’s purpose is to speed access to web services, reduce network bandwidth requirements, and accelerate the performance of a web site, and Pinacor is offering it as an alternative to upgrading web servers. Prices begin at under $6,000 and both corporations and internet service providers are target customers. The combination has undergone testing in Compaq and Novell labs, and products have already been seeded to some early customers. Novell’s FastCache software includes proxy caching, hierarchical network caching and web server acceleration services, and according to Novell can run happily on a single Intel Pentium II processor. A Sun Microsystems Inc web server can be scaled up by 700% by adding FastCache, claims Novell. Pinacor, which nowadays faces increased competition from Compaq’s own direct selling operation, will offer configurations made to end user specifications. Web caching is a fast growing, emerging market with companies such as Cisco Systems Inc, Intel Corp, IBM Corp and Sun Microsystems Inc all after a significant share. A recent report suggested it would be a $1bn market within two years (CI No 3,373). รก
