Microsoft Corp has released details of its programme to transfer 3Com 3+Open LAN Manager and 3+Share server users to Microsoft LAN Manager version 2.0. Intially, the 1.3m 3Com users can acquire LAN Manager 2.0 at a special price – until June 1991. And Microsoft will provide 30 days of free support to those update customers. Phase Two of the update involves Microsoft integrating 3Com’s linking software into its product line. Microsoft and 3Com are also to provide an update toolkit, at the same time as the next release of LAN Manager. The toolkit will offer more integration of LAN Manager with networks based on 3Com network operating systems and applications. 3Com is working closely with Microsoft to help ensure that 2.0 and future versions of LAN Manager run smoothly on 3Com 3Server hardware. To ensure local file and print interoperability between LAN Manager 2.0 and existing 3+Open 1.1 servers, Microsoft plans to make available a compatible Netbeui protocol. Users updated to LAN Manager 2.0 in a mixed environment can have Apple Computer Inc Macintosh support via 3Com running on the existing 3+Open servers. In addition, Microsoft is building direct support into its product line for 3Com’s 3Station, a remote Ethernet diskless workstation, and other remote boot stations.
