A New Client, Better Support from Lotus, Linux, and the Internet all Make 2000 a Better Year for OS/2

What sort of year will 2000 be for OS/2 users ... and OS/2 itself? Looking into the future, the computing environment which is changing so much and so fast, one key issue remains OS/2's relevance. OS/2 is still the used by a fair number of businesses, including some international enterprise accounts. Many sophisticated PC users still swear by it, though many more tend to say "I still have an OS/2 partition, but I don't use it as much as I used to." A lot of questions concerning OS/2 begin with "How much longer .. "

Always ready to take on the Boffo the Seer mantle, I've formed some opinions, have some observations, and feel there are some good reasons for OS/2 users to feel good about 2000 ... and beyond. And I will be using the words "new client based on Aurora" in a sentence, fanning that rumor and perhaps one or two more.

One reason OS/2 users should feel that the next 12 to 24 months will be better for them is the growth of the Internet as a key component of the computing environment. Another is the rise of Linux. Both of these put pressure on the industry to be more cross platform oriented and cross platform support tends to benefit OS/2 users.

There is no question that developers are focusing on words like browser based, Internet enabled, and cross platform. Once cross platform meant multiple platform versions of an application. Now it tends to mean Java, or browser based applications with specific plug-ins. Lotus Notes and the evolution of Lotus Domino is a good example of this. And there is room for OS/2 in this environment.

Even when Peter Coffee wrote his "pro-OS/2" column after Warpstock, there was emphasis on "thin client computing". Odd that an OS which lays claim to being able to do a superior job of multitasking and managing resources, reasons so many power users choose it as a fat client OS, should have it's name bandied about as a thin, light, or managed client, as well.

This happens because OS/2 is extraordinarily responsive, extremely reliable, capable of being managed effectively, and it is low cost and doesn't require a lot of hardware resource to get the job done. If you were setting about to develop a thin client, a managed client, OS/2 would be an excellent choice. Windows wouldn't, Linux could when there is better support for management, utilities, and GUI. And "thin clients" are part of the push towards cross platform support.

The fact that the computing environment is pushing cross platform support tends to level the applications playing field. There is more and more emphasis on Internet enabled, browser based applications ... sometimes necessary, sometimes not. But all this tends to make it easier for users to continue using OS/2 ... avoid being "pushed off" OS/2 over application issues.

So, lets look at some specifics, including the possibility of a new client, Linux and Lotus. Last summer, right here on e-Zine, I took a position that IBM would have to do an Aurora client. In the fall, while e-Zine was in hiatus, I wrote an item for another on-line publication called, IBM's Motto, THINK, Should be THINK AGAIN. Now I believe the time is getting close and IBM will do what had to be done all along. Provide users with a new client.

I won't recap the reasons why the new client is required, those articles are still on the web. But I will add what has changed. IBM Austin has changed. IBM Austin was PSP (Personal Software Products), then rebranded as the Network Computing Software Division (NCSD) at a time when IBM hoped to sell the NC and Java concept across the board. But this fall there was a significant re-organization ... not simply a new name. Now we have e-business Operating Systems and Solutions.

Much of the work that had belonged to Austin, including SecureWay, has moved to another group and will be centered in Raleigh. What's left is some hard core OS/2 components ... with a plan. On February 1, IBM made a software announcement, a direction for a product called Network Client Manager was announced. I think this product direction is significant to our industry and to OS/2 users because of the support for OS/2 and the cross platform support described in the announcement.

But before we go there, let me jump back to "e-bOSS". While the fate of OS/2 is managed by IBM Software Group (SWG) in Somers, NY, e-bOSS in Austin is the group which has to figure out how to make a living. IBM SWG has clearly had a strategy of moving people off OS/2 for years. There is little left of the indirect business partner channel. Statements and comments by IBM execs leave no room for doubt. "We would like you to get off OS/2. What can we do to help?"

The challenge for IBM has been that OS/2 is still the best all around OS out there and smart folks have figured that out. Some of these smart folks are very large accounts who contribute a lot of revenue to IBM with mainframes, networks, e.commerce, and services. These are people IBM does not want angry with them. This leaves IBM with the ticklish task of trying to discourage the use of OS/2 while keeping existing OS/2 user organizations happy with IBM.

So, on the one hand IBM want to avoid expanding the OS/2 market share. On the other hand they are obliged to improve the product to support organizations which are committed to using OS/2 for years to come. After all, some of these accounts have significant Line of Business applications running under OS/2. For these accounts, moving off OS/2 is not a simple matter like migrating a personal productivity application. And IBM has trouble saying "No!" to these accounts.

This let's add a person. The boss of e-bOSS is John Soyring. That's a familiar name to many in the OS/2 community. John has a reputation of being sales oriented. He tends to want to move the ball forward. When he looked at 2000 ... he recognized the same problem all of us recognize. If he doesn't sell OS/2 ... what does he have to sell, especially for the first half of 2000? Customers who wanted Workspace on Demand have had a chance to order it. I don't think the Win32 client is flying off the shelves. The fact is, the low hanging fruit is an OS/2 client. So, expect it to happen.

I've seem some speculation that IBM would (should) release the new client in as a fix pack. But I don't think a fix pack is a vehicle if you are changing the entire kernel. This is obviously a new client. The only remaining issue would be, is it 4.X or 5.0? This is a political issue, no longer a technical or product one.

While the server got it's own release numeral ... the client may not. There can be some rationalization based on the fact that the server wasn't even on the Merlin kernel and such. But if IBM goes a 4.X I think the real reason will be that the execs just want to minimize the impression that this is a new client release. They can paint it as simply being a point release. After all, IBM does not want to give any credence to a "revived" plan for the client.

An Aurora based client solves a lot of problems for IBM, especially e-bOSS. It defuses some of the customer issues, supports Odin, gets the client and server on one kernel ... something IBM has wanted to do for years. And could bring in some short term revenue.

If IBM had announced the new client when they announced Warp Server for e-business, I think both would have sold well. If, if, if ... if frogs had straight knees, they wouldn't bump their ass when they walk. But they don't, so they do. A new OS/2 client now will not significantly change the face of the computing industry. It will just make life better for OS/2 users.

I think we'll see something from IBM in the near term, an Aurora client ... probably minus some of the sexier components of the server (SMP? JFS? LVM?) but, at least, with the new kernel. But IBM SWG has a strategy and it isn't about expanding the OS/2 market share. So there will be no mixed message from IBM, which continues to impale itself in the effort to get some revenue, keep OS/2 accounts happy, and sunset OS/2 ... all at the same time.

Now let's talk a bit about the 2/1 software announcement, a Statement of direction for the Network Client Manager (NCM). This is essentially extending Workspace on Demand beyond OS/2 and Warp Server and a very good idea. IBM was at it's best when it was really cross platform. Network Client Manager brings that cross platform support back with the promise of support for new clients, including Linux, and support for new servers, including Linux, and support for hardware platforms beyond Intel.

If this is done well, and fast, it could be of real value to businesses trying to determine how they want to move forward with their computing environment. With the mention of support for AIX, NCM opens the door for the use of much of IBM's e.commerce software on a powerful server. Can support for the AS/400 and S390 be far behind ..? Hope not.

The biggest problem I have with this announcement is the prerequisite for NT4 Server. Obviously SWG in Somers has decided that support for NT will open doors for them. The same erroneous thinking brought you IBM Suites for NT. Products no one is asking for ... and a requirement which will be addressed by Windows 2000 servers. With the limited resource available to e-bOSS, it's a pity to see so much spent on support for NT.

If there is growth area and a need, it's on the Linux side, not Windows. But at least there is support for Linux servers and clients. And support is announced for a "new" Workspace on Demand client. My take is that this likely means a Workspace client using the entire OS/2 Warp 4 (Merlin), not just a subset, which is the current WSOD client, or a new client (Aurora), or possibly both.

This year will see Microsoft trying to push everyone on to one product, W2K, while IBM and the industry increase support for a range of clients and servers, letting developers, integrators and users choose the tools they need. As an executive with Serenity Systems, an IBM software OEM, I look forward to the opportunity to integrate these products into our business solutions. Right now, our Managed Client seems to be the superior OS/2 based solution. However, I welcome the cross platform support described in the Statement of Direction. As IBM delivers these functions and products, they make it easier to implement OS/2 because the computing environment becomes more inclusive of heterogeneous solutions. That's what real cross platform support does.

I expect that by the time e-bOSS delivers on the Network Client Manager for all these platforms, we'll see an expensive and services intensive environment associated with these products; suitable for enterprise establishments. But that's fine. It leaves room for companies like Serenity Systems, Stardock, Starfire, or Golden Code to add value through additional products and services. Putting these products within the reach of small and medium sized businesses.

In line with that, congratulations to Lotus for starting to move off Windows. Recently Warpcast had an item about going to the Lotus site and getting a trial CD for Domino R5. This is a no charge program and I encourage all OS/2 users to order it ... and go through the presentation and guided tours on the CD.

The thing which struck me about this is the new browser access for clients. We are not talking about the Notes desktop client application. This browser based access to Domino Application Server R5, which provides group and individual calendaring and scheduling, messaging and Inet e.mail, Notes apps, team rooms and Notes DBs. While the browser based client access lacks some of the functionality of the full Notes desktop client, I think it's reasonable to say that the majority of business desktop users will be well supported by this level of functionality. Save the Notes desktop client for power users who need the additional functionality.

Right now the buzz for the Notes desktop client is R5 and that is Windows only. But there is a fascinating rumor about that, too. Rumblings are that Odin has had good success running the R5 Windows client under OS/2. But even more interesting is the response Lotus was supposed to have to Odin's success. The buzz is that Lotus is interested in supporting the Odin effort and it could even lead to an R5 OS/2 client. Who knows?

Almost a year ago, as reported in Warpcast, a Lotus exec, a European VP attending CeBIT, made noises that he recognized the need for an OS/2 R5 product. So there would seem to be a chance that this rumor is not just smoke.

Notes may be typical of trend which finds fat client type applications either morphing into applications like the browser based client access to Domino, or becoming less important as similar functionality becomes available through these Internet enabled, web based applications.

Another significant example of this trend is the announcement of iNotes. More information can be found on www.lotus.com, but iNotes is a planned browser plug-in to extend the functionality of the client access to Domino through supported browsers.

The iNotes browser allows the workstation to execute some of the applications and functions when the workstation is not connected to the Domino server. Then, when the connection is made, execution and synchronization is completed. This plug-in makes the browser access to Domino more feasible to the typical Notes desktop client users, like mobile users.

Part of the significance is that the iNote plug-in is planned for two platforms only ... Windows and OS/2. And this means that OS/2 users, including network dependent OS/2 users like Serenity Systems' Managed Clients, could use the same applications, functionality and look and feel, as other workstations, including the mobile users.

I think Domino reflects much of what is happening in the industry. The trend towards "web served applications". Domino provides a web application server and a web publisher, as well as the basic collaborative and messaging applications which are becoming perceived as mission critical by business. Add Netscape and StarOffice to Domino and you have a powerful business workstation which can run the same applications under OS/2, Windows, and Linux .... and that ought to bring solace to those who need to make the case for using OS/2 because it goes a long way in defusing the application issues.

And Domino provide excellent connectivity to back end servers, hooks into databases like DB2 and Oracle, excellent network connectivity support ... and Domino supports OS/2 Warp, Windows, Linux, AS/400, AIX, and S390.

So, I keep coming back to ... OS/2 provides such great benefits and fits sooooo well into this heterogeneous computing environment ... letting users select the tools they need. While Windows ... supports ... Windows. Bringing to mind the, if all you have is a hammer ... no matter how good a hammer it is ... everything is simply not a nail ...

The last point is about the growth and acceptance of Linux. More to the point, it's the advocacy of Linux by vendors and one of the biggest boosters is IBM. Some interesting items about IBM and Linux turned up on www.ibm.com/news. One item summarizes much of this support. But one thing I found interesting was the growing list of hardware platforms pushing Linux.

Sure, one of the first hardware groups to push Linux was the IBM Netfinity Server organization. That's to be expected. Linux is really a server, isn't it? Well, maybe a server and an appliance, like a cell phone or a PDA. Yeah, that makes a lot sense. So hold on because now IBM is supporting Linux on Network Stations, their NCs, Intellistations, the powerful workstations which were once the exclusive domain of Windows NT, and even ThinkPads. What could IBM be thinking?

Well, I can hope they are thinking that more and more users want to run Linux ...everywhere. But wait, those are hardware guys ... what about software. Well, Software Group created a Linux organization and put Irving Wladawsky-Berger in charge. This is the guy who headed their Internet software organization. And they have joined with Caldera to promote the development of Linux applications for small businesses.

Sort of reminds me of the early '90s when people like John Soyring ran similar programs encouraging developers to write for OS/2 ... but maybe we don't want to spend too much time thinking about that. But there are differences. IBM is not the only company promoting Linux, that's a big one.

Regardless of what you and I may think of IBM and the software strategies which come from Somers, the fact is that IBM's head long support buys Linux a lot of credibility throughout the industry. Just as it did for Java. These may be rocky roads ... and it may take a year, or three, to get there. But, IMO, this actually creates an OS/2 friendly environment ... because it pushes forward acceptance for running things which work, whether they are Windows or not.

OS/2 can position itself as a place holder while Linux matures. Capable of doing what Linux does and more, I think two things can come of this approach. First, it promotes acceptance of things that work, like OS/2 ... reducing the frantic desire to get off OS/2 and on to Windows because it is no longer clear where the organization may want to go. Second, getting OS/2 into the hands of users and support people tends to make believers out of them. Of course, there remain a great many issues.

For one, there are all the awful things IBM can be counted on to say about OS/2. Second, there is OS/2 support from IBM .. which some Oliver Stone buffs have concluded is really part of a conspiracy to move people off OS/2 ... and I'm talking about the product support function, if I wasn't clear. There is the issue of skills to support OS/2 ... which organizations still have them ... or know where to get them.

So, it will be interesting to watch and here is part of what I expect to see ... all of which is positive for the OS/2 community. One, a new client based on Aurora. Two, e-bOSS paying more attention to business partners and channel partners to see what opportunities can be worked together. Three, once they get past the NT4 requirement and move on to Warp Server and Linux server support, the Network Client Manager product may be the right product to put OS/2 on some desktops ... without Win95 type fanfare. Just, one day ... poof .. the user logs on and uses OS/2 ... and might not even know it.

I don't expect the long term prognosis for OS/2 to change. But the next year or two could be very interesting ... and the reality is ... you only live one day at a time. Never met anyone who could successful manage living two or more days at a clip.

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