NetSolve Ltd, a communications consultancy based in Camberley, Surrey, is do distribute products for the once bankrupt Phaser Systems Inc and Indisy Software Inc. Phaser Systems was operating under Chapter 11 back in 1985 (CI No 228), but it survived the experience and is now owned by the president of Novell Inc, Raymond Noorda. However, the Novell connection goes further than Phaser Systems since Indisy is now wholly owned by Novell which bought the remaining 40% of the Toronto company earlier this year (CI No 1,525), having owned 60% since July 1988. The three products from Phaser are NetWare SNA Router, NetWare for VM v2.15 and NetWare for MVS v2.15. NetWare SNA Router enables Novell NetWare local area networks to communicate across SNA wide area backbone networks. There are 80386- and 80286-based versions, and the Router uses the IBM SNA LU6.2 protocol to route packets over a wide area network. The system requirements for Router 386 are a 80386-based file server, NetWare 386 v3.1, NetWare 386 services for Systems Application Architecture, and external communications supported by NetWare 386 Services for Systems Application Architecture. For the 80286-based version, the system requires either a 80286-based or 80386-based file server, NetWare 286 or 386, and an external gateway running NetWare SNA Gateway v1.1 with the LU6.2 software option. NetWare for VM v2.15 connects NetWare local area networks to IBM mainframes via VTAM-based SNA links. Services include mainframe-based NetWare virtual disk volumes, internetwork bridging over SNA wide area networks and host file services. The hardware requirements include a personal computer or PS/2 with a minimum of 640Kb memory, and a local area network communications board to establish a connection between the personal computer local area network. An SNA gateway is also needed, as are internal and external bridges. NetWare for MVS is said to extend the NetWare client server environment to IBM mainframes by VTAM-based SNA communications links. Services to local area network personal computer users include mainframe-based NetWare virtual disk volumes, internetwork bridging over SNA wide area networks, host file services and host batch services. NetSolve is also distributing Indisy Software’s OfficeWare communications package which enables personal computer users on a local area network to communicate with minis and mainframes in an SNA network. The software resides on both mainframes and local area networks, and is claimed to support any number of users across different architectures. An electronic mail application provides the ability to combine spreadsheets, text and graphics into a single transmission, and Indisys E-Mail runs under TSO or CICS, and on Novell, PC-LAN, 3Com or any NetBIOS local area network. Other features include conversion between different formats and batch interfaces.
