Network Computing: Get Ready for the Next Wave

By IBM

Is client/server old news already? Yes and no What client/server began-- a movement toward a distributed computing world--will certainly move forward And the movement, currently referred to as network computing, is already underway

With network computing, users can go beyond simply sharing data internally and enter into a universally connected global computing environment This has big implications for businesses both large and small better customer interaction, easy global reach, and a true competitive edge

Key to network computing is keeping information and application processing located within the network, allowing the broadest possible access and sharing through a variety of heterogeneous computing resources The Internet, offering both reach and compatibility, is crucial to simplify access to this network-based information

IBM continues to develop technology to exploit network computing for the benefit of its customers Via such systems as the IBM Global Network (IGN)--which manages more than 5,000 host-based networks and thousands of LANs for more than 25,000 businesses and government agencies--and its newly announced European VSAT satellite communications network component, IBM is laying the foundation for a variety of network computing solutions

In the meantime, get used to hearing less about client/server and more about the ubiquitous network The next wave has arrived!

Note This article was previously published in IBM s Personal Systems Advantage, Summer 1996 It contains excerpts from an article titled Network -centric computing, by Todd Watson in IBM s Software Quarterly, Volume 3, Number 1, 1996