IBM UK has announced software support of the CCITT-recommended X400 message-handling protocol, which provides a link for the first time between the Open Systems standard and IBM’s DisOSS office software. The company will be introducing several new products, mostly not out till 1988: the X400 Message Transfer Facility Program uses OSI protocols to send messages to another X400 system; the X400 DisOSS Connection Program transforms and relays messages between DisOSS and IBM’s X400 Message Transfer Facility; the General Teleprocessing Monitor for OSI, GTMOSI, release 1.1 succeeds the initial September 1986 release of GTMOSI and provides a framework for GTMOSI users who wish to implement their own message handling systems, using the IBM Message Transfer Facility; the Open Systems Transport and Session Service, OTSS, release 2 includes additional OSI functions needed to support user applications such as X400. Unlike GTMOSI 1.0, 1.1 runs under DOS/VSE and VM as well as MVS; Open Systems Network Support, OSNS, release 2 enables users to connect programs in an IBM host to another IBM or non-IBM system via an X25 network. The new release also supports VSE and VM as well as MVS. OTSS and OSNS will be available in September 1987, X400 Message Transfer Facility, X400 DisOSS communications and GTMOSI release 1.1 in third quarter of 1988.
