Enfield, Middlesex-based Data Connection Ltd has won further support for its implementation of IBM Corp’s Advanced Peer to Peer Networking technology, with a further four companies joining Wellfleet Communications Corp in licensing it. In addition, two other companies are said to be at an advanced stage in evaluating it, and seem certain to sign up. The four new licensees of the privately-held British company’s SNAP APPN technology are Cabletron Systems Inc, Hitachi Ltd, Memorex Telex NV, and Unisys Corp, and while Hewlett-Packard Co and Northern Telecom Ltd have not yet licensed it, each says that it intends to do so shortly. The exact plans of the new licensees are still a little sketchy, but Hewlett-Packard says that SNAP APPN will be used to enhance functionality of its SNAplus product line, which was originally announced in February, although it has not given a time-scale for this. Cabletron last week demonstrated its APPN network node implementation at the IBM APPN Solution Showcase at the InterOp exhibition in Paris: this takes the form of a module for the company’s MMAC hub, and the demonstration included APPN network node routing capabilities including directory and topology routing services. While Unisys has released no details of its plans, it says that an announcement is imminent, and Hitachi – which has also licensed Data Connection’s SNAP-IX SNA-to-Unix interconnection technology says that the two technologies will be used as the basis for its future products implementing LU6.2 and APPN in Unix-based systems. Northern Telecom says that the technology will be used to provide a natural evolution for the SNA Data Link routing services used by its Magellan DPN-100, while for its part, Memorex Telex is keeping silent on its precise implementation plans.
