The network computer crowd are finally to get together to organize that most basic but important element: computer interoperability. The famous five of the Network Computer Reference Profile, NCRP – Sun Microsystems Inc, IBM Corp, Netscape Communications Corp, Oracle Corp and maybe Apple Computer Systems Inc, though its Network Computer role remains a mystery – are shortly going to get together to announce that they have settled on a protocol for booting each other’s clients off each other’s servers. The Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol, DHCP, will be added to the requirements of the NCRP. It is a common specification for assigning Internet Protocol addresses to devices. IBM’s vice president of Network Computer development in its Network Computer division, Phil Hester, confirmed the move. Hester also said that IBM’s Network Computer Server software started rolling out March 28 and should be out in full by June.
