IBM Corp has grabbed yet another desktop environment for its network computers in the shape of TriTeal Corp’s SoftNC technology paying an undisclosed sum for an unlimited license to the software. The terms allow IBM to integrate SoftNC with any of its software, hardware or service offerings as well as license it on to any of its OEM partners. SoftNC comprises a universal thin- client desktop, agent-based applications and an underlying messaging infrastructure. TriTeal will be talking more about its agent applications in a few weeks, whereby an agent requests broker sits on the server dealing with requests from the client. However, it turns out IBM has licensed the desktop, file and print agent applications, but not the messaging part – it will use Lotus’ InfoBus technology to enable applets to communicate. But, as usual IBM wouldn’t spell out any product plans, but the message we got from IBM’s OEM software unit, without saying it explicitly, was that the NC desktop is SoftNC’s eventual destination. It said the difference between Lotus’ NC desktop, with its integrated Java Kona applets, and the SoftNC desktop is that the former was more browser-centric, and the latter more like a Windows desktop. The SoftNC desktop runs on top of a Java virtual machine in less than 1.5Mb and supports log-in, windows, session and style management. Existing licensees include IBM’s OEM network computer maker Network Computing Devices Inc, Fujitsu Ltd, Japan Computer Corp and Wyse Technology Corp, which also includes it in its WinTerm network computers.
