---------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Florida SunFlash SunNet License To Be Made Widely Available On UNIX Platforms SunFLASH Vol 28 #2 April 1991 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. --April 3, 1991-- Sun Microsystems today announced that SunNet(TM) License, its software license management package, will be available for a wide variety of UNIX(R) systems in addition to those offered by Sun. The company has signed a master distributor agreement with UniPress Software to port SunNet License to the HP 9000 Series 300/400, DECstations, IBM RS6000 and SPARC(R)-compatible platforms. Sun also announced that it is incorporating SunNet License into its own unbundled software products, offering its customers the benefits of software asset management through its extensive reporting tools and intuitive OPEN LOOK(R) user interface. The first such product to be shipped is SunLink(R) CG3270, a color graphics terminal emulator that allows Sun workstation users to access IBM host mainframe applications. With the growth of distributed computing in corporate environments, controlling network access to application software has become an issue for software developers, system administrators and end users. SunNet License reduces the cost of software for users and decreases the threat of illegal software copying by monitoring the availability of applications across a network. SunNet License includes an end user component, which permits easy administration of software licenses, and a software vendor component, which gives software developers great flexibility in the way they sell their products. "With this announcement, Sun is delivering the benefits of SunNet License to all users," said Cheryl Vedoe, vice president of software marketing at Sun. "Now, software developers can incorporate SunNet License in their applications across all of the best-selling UNIX platforms." UniPress will serve as a "one-stop shop" for software developers, offering development kits for the Sun-3(TM) and SPARC machines from Sun and other companies, in addition to those systems from Hewlett-Packard, DEC and IBM. UniPress is calling its SunNet License product "Net License." The Net License development kit includes client libraries, which are linked to an application, and a license production tool, which is used to generate licenses. The kit also includes Net License for end users, which developers can distribute to their customers without any royalties. Like SunNet License, this end user portion consists of a license server (a database that maintains the pool of licenses and logs all transactions) and a license administration tool. Besides offering development kits, UniPress will make Net License source code available to hardware and software companies. These companies can then incorporate the license source code into their own software products or hardware platforms. UniPress will offer these vendors any necessary technical support. While Net License will be available to developers from UniPress, Sun will continue to include it free of charge with every Sun application that uses it. Once delivered, SunNet License can be copied freely throughout an organization. SunNet License consists of scalable client/server software that allows applications to be licensed on a "concurrent usage" basis. Concurrent usage licensing is superior to typical licensing arrangements under which a company must buy an individual license for every user who requires access to a given software package. A concurrent usage licensing model allows software licenses to "float" among many users. As a result, more employees of a company -- including occasional users -- are able to gain access to the software. "Today's users are demanding that their software suppliers offer concurrent usage licensing," noted Mark Krieger, president of UniPress. "The convenient, increased exposure to floating applications is a key benefit to software developers and end users." Other benefits come from delivering an entire library of protected software at the time of original purchase. The end user gets nearly immediate access to a wide variety of popular software titles by simply calling in for a password and the software vendor lowers its cost of product delivery. SunNet License itself provides extensive logging and reporting of such information as usage patterns, which helps end users better match their software cost to benefit received. SunNet License is based upon Sun's ONC(TM) networking platform, which allows the SunNet License components to be easily distributed across a multiple-vendor network. Additionally, by being built upon standard ONC networking protocols and services, SunNet License is readily portable to other ONC-based platforms. ONC is a standard part of UNIX System V Release 4 and is supported on all major operating systems including VMS, MVS, VM, PC-DOS and OS/2. UniPress Software is a developer and distributor of innovative technical, business and financial software for a wide range of UNIX computers. Known best for UniPress UniMarket software, UniPress also frequently provides software porting, distribution and support services for computer manufacturers. Based in Edison, New Jersey, UniPress offers worldwide distribution, technical support and training. PR contact Carol Sacks (415) 336-0521 UniPress Software Sandy Burns (908) 287-2100 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ For information send mail to info-sunflash@sunvice.East.Sun.COM. Subscription requests should be sent to sunflash-request@sunvice.East.Sun.COM. Archives are on solar.nova.edu and paris.cs.miami.edu. All prices, availability, and other statements relating to Sun or third party products are valid in the U.S. only. Please contact your local Sales Representative for details of pricing and product availability in your region. Descriptions of, or references to products or publications within SunFlash does not imply an endorsement of that product or publication by Sun Microsystems. John McLaughlin, SunFlash editor, flash@sunvice.East.Sun.COM. (305) 776-7770.