Network Computing Devices Inc says customer demand for a Navigator-based browser was a key reason for its proposed acquisition of Tektronix Inc’s thin client/terminal business announced earlier this week. Spyglass Inc, whose browser NCD says it currently offers on its thin client/network computer terminals, looks to be the likely loser in the deal. Aside from Textronix’s engineering expertise – the group is located just two miles from NCD’s operation in Beaverton, Oregon – NCD says it was the company’s access technology that it was attracted to. Tektronix’s MIPS RISC-based terminals run Windriver Systems Inc’s VxWorks real-time operating system and support a version of Navio, the cut-down Navigator browser offered by Oracle Corp’s Network Computing Inc subsidiary. Tektronix has beefed up the interface environment with audio and video enhancements and also enables a Citrix Systems Inc ICA client running at the same time to run Windows applications. NCD says it currently offers a version of the Spyglass Inc browser on its ThinStar terminals, even though it offered a choice of Navio or Spyglass on the PowerPC-based thin clients it builds for IBM Corp which Big Blue resells as its NetStations (CI No 3,210). NCD will continue to ship Tektronix terminals after the acquisition closes, but early next year it will announce plans for a line of terminals supporting a single integrated software suite, apparently based on Navio. NCD claims the addition of the Tektronix business gives it 53% of the thin client market. It’s still in discussions with IBM about manufacturing Big Blue’s design for Intel-based NetStations running JavaOS for Business due next year. It doesn’t think IBM has nailed down its plan yet. NCD says it picked up more leads in the first two days of Comdex this year than in all five days last year. It regards its presence as more of a thin client branding exercise than a straight sales opportunity. NCD is trumpeting EDS Network Computing Group’s support of its terminals.
