IBM Introduces Solutions to Help Internet Service Providers Speed Performance and Offer New Services
New Series Includes Offerings for Web Caching, Intel Architecture Servers and E-Commerce
San Jose, CA (September 29, 1998) – Today at ISPCON, IBM announced a series of solutions and programs designed to help Internet service providers (ISPs) deliver fast, reliable, commerce-enabled services to businesses and consumers. These offerings address ISPs’ need for infrastructure for hosting, content delivery, and e-business solutions. With today’s announcements, IBM is demonstrating its strategic focus on ISPs as a delivery channel for it’s e-business solutions.
High-Speed Web Caching
Web caching is a process whereby popular Web pages are temporarily stored in a location close to the ISP’s customer, speeding up the delivery of those Web pages to the customer’s desktop. The IBM Web Cache Manager* is a Web caching server that dramatically reduces long-distance data transmission costs, decreases network bottlenecks, and improves response time for ISPs’ customers. Based on the RS/6000*, The Web Cache Manager uses two storage media for delivering popular Web objects: serial disk storage for smaller objects, and tape library storage for objects over one megabyte in size. These larger objects are much fewer in number, but their size causes them to consume 50% of network traffic. Using this solution, an ISP can potentially eliminate up to six long distance transmission lines (T1s), with a single line cost ranging from a few thousand to tens of thousands of dollars, depending on geography. An ISP can use the reduction in bandwidth to cut costs or to improve service by smoothing traffic upswings at busy times of the day.
Netfinity Sets Sights on ISPs
Several of the solutions and programs being launched today represent important steps in delivering on IBM’s goal of making Netfinity servers a compelling choice for ISPs. To this end, IBM is offering its new Netfinity Web Server Accelerator* software free of charge and exclusively to its Netfinity customers. Netfinity Web Accelerator allows ISPs to process up to 60% more page requests per minute over competitive Intel architecture servers. It also significantly improves overall system performance. Because this technology effectively “frees up” the server to deliver more cycles, an ISP is able to utilize the increased capacity to host more Web sites per server as well as increase the number of customers supported per server.
IBM’s “ServerProven” program — which tests software and accessories designed to run on Intel architecture servers — has been expanded to help independent software vendors offer solutions for ISPs that are compatible with Netfinity servers. Already, IBM’s newly created roster of ServerProven Solutions for ISPs*, includes 13 offerings, including offerings from RealNetworks, Software.com, eShare Technologies Inc., Netscape, Security Dynamics, and others.
At the same time, IBM is introducing the Netfinity Advanced Web Hosting Solution*, a powerful hardware and software package specifically designed to help ISPs expand their Web hosting capabilities using IBM’s newly announced Netfinity 5000, which will be available in October.
Commerce-enabling Software Tailored for ISPs
IBM also announced today the IBM Net.Commerce Hosting Server*, a solution for helping ISPs deliver a full-range of hosted, electronic commerce services for the smallest to largest businesses. Using this integrated software package, ISPs can set-up and operate full-service, low-maintenance, hosted electronic commerce services for multiple sellers in a shared commerce server environment.
IBM Net.Commerce Hosting Server can support all ISP customers regardless of size or solution requirements. It provides ISPs new functionality, tools, templates, and documentation to set-up and operate a self-serve, Web storefront rental service. The ISP provides the seller with all the necessary tools and documentation needed to design a site, create a catalog, publish and operate a store. Easy-to-use, browser-based tools provide sellers with 24-hour access to their electronic commerce site to perform daily tasks. Sellers can regularly update the catalog, query and process orders, and view reports.
The IBM Net.Commerce Hosting Server consists of the following components: IBM Net.Commerce Start*, DB2 Universal Database*, Domino Go Server*, Net.Data*, IBM Payment Server*, CyberCash*** Merchant Connection Kit, CSP Starter Site and Merchant Pack. The IBM Net.Commerce Hosting Server will be generally available later this year. Pricing will be announced at time of general availability.
Source: IBM