gateway   Issue No. 10 Page 4.


WRQ is Not a Radio Station

But their Web-to-Host access solutions really rock!

LANDA Dinner Seminar

by Barry Eames


Dig it. There's the King, down in the Jungle Room, just a twitchin' and chompin' on a peanut butter and fried banana sandwich, when he gets the urge to check the donut inventory. He fires up the PC, opens the HTML based emulation program, dials up the mainframe at Tim Horton's, and commences ta countin' . . .

. . . jelly, bavarian cream, cruller . . . Uh, how many jelly was that again? (hitting the back button) Huh? Where did it go? What do yuh mean, re-start the session?! 

(sound of gun shot and tinkling glass). Dang that out-of-synch gateway connection!

The Pelvis learns that reliable host access is still important, and that rock and roll is a vicious game.

Host Access is Still Important . . .
with a Browser?

WRQ Inc., and Interwork Technologies, Canadian distributor of their Reflection and Express software, co-sponsored April's dinner meeting focusing on the continuing importance of host & Mainframe connectivity in today's business.

Alan Merrihew, Systems Engineering Manager at WRQ Inc. explained that UNIX hosts & mainframes are still key information resources, even if it's they are not at the top of the hierarchy anymore. It's They are still a superb transaction platform, offering security, and reliability, but there are significant integration issues like multi hosts, differing protocols, diverse desktopsŠsticky keyboards, uh huh.

From an access point of view it makes sense to maintain the traditional emulation client, but update it for easier and more wide spread use by placing it inside a browser (client container). Reflection uses just this approach and offers a web-based emulation-a Java-powered (or ActiveX) hybrid presentation, combining the "green screen" with the look and feel of the web.

WRQ (Rock) Solid 3270, 5250, and VT Connectivity

WRQ cautions that web-to-host technology is still a new frontier, and may not be ideal in all situations. It's most effective when:

  • users are already familiar with terminal or emulator interfaces, or;
  • fast easy implementation is critical, or;
  • the host environment is too extensive to reasonably develop a new user interface



But when the aim is to grant access to a wider group of casual users who need occasional, timely information directly from the source, it's hard not to want to use this stuff. It's as easy as opening a box of TimBits.

Reflection installs on the PC (client) side only, there is no host software. Users simply click on a hyperlink for a particular host session, which downloads the corresponding terminal emulation applet from the web server. It's the applet that connects directly with the host-no gateway needed-giving the user an on-going connection and eliminating browser-to-host synchronization problems. (Thank yuh, thank yuh veruh much.)

When the session ends, the applet politely removes itself, making connection security issues less of a concern.

Beyond Shrink Rap, er, Wrap

Dealing with web-based host connection issues and the growing Y2K headaches with desktop PC's (projected to be a staggering 150 million managed PC's by 2000) needs a clear head and a steady hand, and definitely something more than a "shrink wrapped" solution.

Kelley Hamill, Regional Manager, reminded members that Interwork Technologies is a specialty distributor of connectivity, messaging and security solutions that "wants to help you sell" by offering you the benefit of their expertise, service, and a highly knowledgeable, focussed team-plus higher margins of 15-20%!

Kelley would be happy to discuss host connection and Software management solutions with you. Call her, toll free, at: 1-800-461-8649, or email: kelleyh@interwork.com.

To learn more about the technology behind WRQ's Reflection software visit their web site at, http://www.wrq.com

WRQ is not a rock radio station. But if it was . . . I bet they'd play Elvis.