PRESS INFORMATION FROM EXTECH
E-Office Manager file server to cut Internet connection costs by up to 50 per cent

January 2000. Excellent Technologies (Extech) Plc. now offers small to medium sized enterprises a low cost route to direct Internet connection through its Linux-based e-Office Manager file server. The unit will also act as a departmental Local Area Network (LAN) server for locally held data files in either Mac, Windows or UNIX formats, and support an Intranet. Using a high-speed cache to host frequently-downloaded web pages and an Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) connection, the company estimate that the e-Office Manager can deliver dial-up charge savings of up to 50 per cent.

The product can also be connected directly to an Internet Service Provider (ISP) over a leased line, either out of the box, or at a later date, as company needs demand.

Configuration for web access and network settings is through a simple to use web-based user interface. This is structured around option lists and check boxes, and is only slightly more complex to set up than a typical stand-alone PC dial-up Internet access and e-mail account.

Outgoing e-mails are first cached on the e-Office Manager, and sent in "bursts" alongside requests for web pages from the 'net. Changes to company web pages are made first to the local "mirror" site, which is then used to update the remote web site hosted by an ISP. These operations take place automatically and are transparent to users.

Security is built into the e-Office Manager at several levels. The unit's native operating system is a version of Linux, implemented by Nixu, one of Finland's leading e-commerce systems houses. Linux was chosen as being more stable a platform than NT or Windows networking. A firewall isolates the local copy of the company's "mirrored" external web site and all Intranet functions - including internal e-mail - from the 'net. Secure remote teleworking user traffic is achieved using a mix of Internet Mail Access Protocol (IMAP) and Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption, to mask actual addresses and message content during transit. Direct upload or download of web pages or e-mail transmission from users' PCs are not permitted; all such requests are routed through the internal cache and firewall.

As a LAN server, the e-Office Manager will support Apple Macintosh, Microsoft Windows and UNIX file formats at the same time.

E-Office Manager end-user prices are GB 2,600 Pounds, and units will be shipped with Apache 'web server , LAN communications software supporting Network File System (NFS) for UNIX, Samba for Windows, and Appletalk for Apple computer users. The product will be available and supported through Excellent Technology's local reseller network across Europe.

About Excellent Technologies Plc.

Excellent Technologies Plc is the UK subsidiary of J & M Martela Oy, a Finland-based group established in 1992 geared towards harnessing leading-edge communications technology to far-Eastern manufacturing economies of scale. A sister company, Excellent Technologies (Europe) BV has recently been set up in the Netherlands. Yearly turnover for the combined businesses is in excess of GB 10,000,000 Pounds, which includes the supply of 20,000 PC-based systems and peripheral devices across Europe.

Ends

In Brief.....

Product
Extech e-Office Manager

Target Users
Small to medium enterprises, education, schools, local offices of large corporations

Function
Combines "Plug-in-and-Play" connection to Internet with that of an office/departmental PC LAN server

Features
Easy to set up configuration interface Supports Mac, Windows and UNIX file formats on same unit Secure firewall between Internet and company Intranet and locally stored data files, teleworking using IMAP/SSL encryption ISDN or Leased Line connection to the Internet Local cache for downloaded web pages to reduce dial-up charges/increase speed for page retrieval on second request

Technical
High speed RAID disk for file, web page and e-mail storage
Intel Pentium Slot 1 cpu
Auto-archive of data files
Inbuilt SCSI drivers for shared peripherals connection
 

Software
LINUX operating system
Apache web tools environment for Intranet web pages
LAN protocols supported include Sun NFS, Samba for Windows, Appletalk
 

Upgradability
Software - new releases/upgrades distributed on CD

Further Information

Product sales, technical enquiries:
Excellent Technologies Plc.
1 St Clements Road
Poole
DORSET BH15 3PB
UNITED KINGDOM
 

tel. +44 (0) 1202 777 307
fax +44 (0) 1202 777 208
web: //www.ex-tech.com
 

Media contact, file downloads:
Aardvark Associates
3 Beach Road
West Bexington
Dorchester
DORSET DT2 9DF
UNITED KINGDOM
 

Francis Samish, Ewan Scott
tel. +44 (0) 1308 897 911
tel. +44 (0) 1308 898 088
fax +44 (0) 1308 897 911
 

web: //www.go-west.co.uk

e-mail: 100603.201@compuserve.com

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