3Com Corp, Santa Clara took some time out from buying BICC Data Networks to introduce two new high-capacity terminal servers with multi-protocol support last week. The CS/2500 (diskless version) and CS/2600 (with floppy drive) terminal servers feature a parallel printer port, enabling terminal and personal computer users share resources and run applications on a wide variety of host computers. The CS/2500 and CS/2600, supporting TCP/IP, LAT and Telnet 3270, provide direct Ethernet network connection for devices such as printers, terminals or modems. The CS/2500 and CS/2600 will also support 3Com’s full Open Systems Interconnection implementation, including the Virtual Terminal protocol, in future releases. The new terminal server environments are available now: the diskless CS/2500 and CS/2600 with floppy drive cost $2,800 and $3,300 respectively. TCP/IP and TCP/LAT software is $250. Software for terminal servers using Network Control Server/AT is priced at $300. Multiprotocol software that will support TCP/IP, LAT and 3270 protocols simultaneously is not going to be ready until the second quarter.
