Congleton, Cheshire-based JSB Computer Systems Ltd, the company that claims it was behind the introduction of the common TCP/IP interface Windows Socket, has refocussed its business to aim at the corporate Intranet. The firm, preparing to launch an integrated Intranet suite of programs this month, is delighted that Bill Gates used the word Intranet in his Internet strategy briefing in November. So powerful is his word, it reckons, that between now and the end of this month the world will have begun to clamour for Intranet products. Steve Purdham, managing director of JSB’s European division, said the biggest problem facing the company is educating information technology people that the Intranet concept is simple but very effective – and has nothing to do with Notes. He said many companies using internal electronic mail believe they already have an Intranet, but are not harnessing the Internet-style technology to disseminate corporate information. For example using ordinary electronic mail, the company would mail a document to all users, regardless of its use to them. Using Web technology, the company would merely mail users a message, telling them which Web page contains the relevant document. JSB’s Intranet suite will consist of what the company calls an ‘end user-comfortable’ interface, as distinct from an icon-based graphical interface. Purdham says the icon-based interface was the best that could be done with low resolution screens and existing technology, but now there is no need to be bound by it as a standard. JSB is offering a multimedia kiosk-style interface, written using the Internet HyperText Mark-up Language. This approach enables users to see a photograph of their office, with doors leading to the accounts department for example, which they can click on for access to the accounts system on the server. Within the accounts department they may see photographs of an order book, an invoice book, a customer book, and then chose which book they wish to use. Each company can customise this interface by scanning in pictures or photographs appropriate to its own operation. Behind the kiosk, JSB has written its own Web browser using Mosaic Web software licensed from Spyglass Inc. The fully integrated suite also consists of electronic mail, and File Transfer Protocol. However JSB said that each is available as a component, and any company already with a Netscape Communications Corp World Wide Web browser would still be able to use this, with other components from JSB’s suite. The kiosk-style front end is also for sale as a separate entity. The kiosk, available any day now, will run under Windows 3.X, 95 and NT. The rest of the client suite, Web browser, mail and File Transfer Protocol, will be available for Windows95 and NT only, at the end of the month. JSB will also offer a server suite, for Santa Cruz Unix and AIX at present, which includes an alpha browser for users with dumb terminals. Prices are promised this month, but should be between $100 to $200 per user for the client software suite and less than $1,000 for the server suite.
