London, W1-based Logica Finance Ltd has launched User Friendly Front End, UFFE, software designed in conjunction with the Norwich Union Assurance Co, to simplify the use of disparate administrative and customer service systems. UFFE runs under OS/2 and appears with a graphical user interface that shows the work being carried out in the company. It provides direct access to mainframe data by interfacing with a variety of mainframe transaction processing applications. The micro looks to the host like a dumb terminal, providing streams of system functions and transactions. UFFE acts as an intelligent go-between for user and host, translating the format required by the user into that required by the host and vice versa and validates data simultaneously before it reaches the host. UFFE is out this month at an introductory UKP75,000 for 20 users and configuration service. Logica advises that all companies start with a six- to eight-week pilot scheme and concentrate on one area of business. The price for 100 micros, including the licence fees and depending on the configuration, ranges from UKP100,000 to UKP150,000. Logica is currently running an internal pilot scheme using Unix workstations, although further development in this area is dependent on finding a business partner.
