New Software for Faster Network Transmission Over the Internet - Product Announcement

Cambridge Telcom Report, Jan 31, 2000

Solution-Soft, the provider of Internet-infrastructure software for online archiving and bandwidth management, is announcing volume shipments of the e-Velocity Network Transfer Solution. Using dynamic compression on the fly and parallel processing threads, the e-Velocity Solution speeds up file transfer and optimizes network bandwidth utilization over the LAN, the WAN, and the Internet. Data is transferred fast due to compression provided by e-Space technology. (See companion press release on e-Space.)

Transmission is also accelerated by delta transmission. This feature, to be added to the e-Velocity product by mid-year, enables only the relative unique portions of the data file to be transferred. The e-Velocity Solution has the capability to automatically reconnect and resume transfer from the point of interruption, if a connection drops. Thus, e-Velocity is ideal for instant file transfer and file synchronization to address the Internet bandwidth and network congestion challenges.

"Our e-Velocity customers should see significant savings in bandwidth usage, potentially as much as 90 percent -- and the reduction of associated costs. We expect strong interest from ISPs, application service providers, and all companies actively doing e-business," said Paul Wang, president of Solution-Soft.

When coupled with the e-Space Solution, e-Velocity offers advantages in file-transfer management. Data transmission speeds are enhanced. Data can be delivered to systems in e-Space file compression format. Compressed e-Space files are transferred from the source machine and sent across the network to arrive on the destination machine in a compressed state. Pre-compressed files do not have to be compressed again for the transfer.

Due to its standards-based design, e-Velocity is also compatible with FTP. Implementation follows FTP-related Request for Comment documentation. These include RFC 959, RFC 2389, and RFC 2640. By mid-year, SNMP will be supported and will interface with all major network management platforms, including HP OpenView, CA-Unicenter, and IBM Tivoli. This compatibility and interoperability simplifies data management and system administration. The e-Velocity SNMP agent will provide immediate email notice of breaches in network security and violations of data access.

Unlike other ftp applications that transmit passwords in the clear, e-Velocity hinders unauthorized system access by transmitting encrypted passwords. Furthermore, e-Velocity is interoperable with tcpwrappers to uphold security. By mid-year, a data encryption layer will be available. When desired, it can be implemented for additional security.

Precautions have been taken in developing e-Velocity and making it hacker-resistant. Instead of invoking sub-processes, like other ftp programs, e-Velocity is a threaded application. In addition, character buffers are always cleared, and boundaries are always checked to foil hacking. So, malicious operators will never be able to exploit sub-processes or character buffers.

The e-Velocity Solution offers a friendly user interface. A simple, command-line interface, familiar to users of standard ftp, and an intuitive graphical interface reduce training and administration time. Worldwide implementation and usage is facilitated through National Language Support (NLS).

Pricing and Availability The e-Velocity Software is currently available on major UNIX platforms and will be available in the first quarter this year on Windows NT. Pricing starts at $349 for a Windows NT server and $799 for a UNIX server. Client pricing starts at $119 for a single license.

Solution-Soft is the provider of software for online archiving and for bandwidth management in the Internet infrastructure and the enterprise. Founded in 1993, Solution-Soft now boasts more than 2,000 customers, including AT&T, Boeing, FedEx, and 3M. Solution-Soft's market presence is also bolstered by partnerships with Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Informix, NCR, Oracle, Sun Microsystems and Sybase. Solution-Soft is privately held and based in San Jose, Calif. For more information, visit www.solution-soft.com.