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 PSP Press Release: IBM Adds New Assistance Center
                    To the Next Version of OS/2 Warp
  
                    IT Managers Will Benefit from Enhanced
                    Systems Management, Reduced Downtime,
                    Lowered Cost-of-Ownership
  
AUSTIN, Texas, May 28, 1996 .... IBM today announced that the
next version of OS/2 Warp, code-named Merlin, will incorporate
new and enhanced training tools, systems management and support
features in one location as a desk top icon, known as the
Assistance Center. These features strengthen serviceability and
ease-of-use while reducing the cost-of-ownership for both end
users and system administrators.
  
By organizing features such as WarpGuide and remote support, the
Assistance Center will provide end users with easy access that
eliminates having to hunt around the desktop for support
utilities. At the same time, features such as Desktop
Management Interface (DMI) and troubleshooting capabilities will
help systems administrators reduce the downtime normally
required to diagnose and correct system errors, which should
help to lower the cost of owning and maintaining computer
networks.
  
Merlin will be the first desktop operating system to organize
all systems management tools in one folder, enabling customers
to read about help procedures and then directly access to basic
tools. Merlin will also be the first operating system to
support the Desktop Management Interface (DMI), a cross-industry
standard developed by the Desktop Management Task Force to
enhance ease-of-use, intelligence, interoperability and
management capabilities.
  
"With the growth of mission-critical distributed applications,
effective client and server systems management are the issues
that are really keeping IT managers awake at night and driving
up IT costs. IBM has incorporated a variety of tools into the
new version of OS/2 Warp to enhance service and support.
Merlin's enhanced system management tools can help companies
save significantly on their total cost of ownership," said
Cheryl Ball, director of client/server computing, Business
Research Group, a research organization based in Newton, Mass.
  
Remote Support on Command
  
Merlin makes service faster and easier for the end user by
offering an array of tools, including WarpGuide and Remote
Support and AskPSP*, that provide online help and training. A
new feature, WarpGuide provides proactive and non-proactive
assistance and guidance for select system tasks such as creating
a network printer.
  
Remote Support for OS/2 Warp allows IBM service representatives
to help users directly, much the way onsite IT administrators do
-- by conducting a virtual hands-on examination of the system.
With the permission of the user, an IBM service representative
can access the users system Remote Support for OS/2 Warp by
dialing into the user's system and taking control of the screen
and keyboard to assist with problem determination and
resolution. This may include executing programs, editing files
and even rebooting the system.
  
"With remote support for Merlin, service will be easy," said
John Watson, systems engineer, Smart Microsystems, based in
Maple Shade, N.J. "It will be like having a trained service
representative at your desk -- which improves the already
best-of-breed IBM service."
  
OS/2 Warp will also incorporate an automatic software retrieval
and installation mechanism, called Software Updates, which puts
users virtually a click away from fixes and upgrades for all
OS/2 Warp-related software. This browser-based interface makes
it easy for users or systems administrators to retrieve and
install files from either the Internet or a local network.
Clicking onto an icon on Merlin's desktop, users can connect to
IBM's Software Updates Web site, where fixes and updates are
quick to find and easy to install.
  
Another tool to help Merlin users is AskPSP, which acts as the
users own easy-to-use personal help desk to assist in
discovering solutions. An expert system tool for end users and
help desk personnel, AskPSP contains frequently asked questions
and answers that are based on user calls handled in the OS/2
Warp support centers. Known as casebases, the AskPSP questions
and answers are continually updated and posted on the Internet
and available for download by the customer.
  
Systems Management Made Easy Desktop Management Interface will
be built into Merlin to enable system administrators to have a
common framework to access and manage information consistently
and seamlessly across the network -- whether they access the
network locally or remotely. Systems administrators will be
better able to track errors resulting from software and hardware
on their systems, simplifying technical support and trouble
shooting.
  
Developed by Desktop Management Task Force, a cross-industry
consortium whose members include IBM, Intel Corp., Compaq
Computer Corp., Digital Equipment Corp., and Radish Systems, DMI
will allow OS/2 Warp administrators to manage cross-platform
client/server systems, including OS/2 Warp Server as well as
Novell Netware and Windows-based workstations and servers.
  
"When we call service with a particular problem, often they need
to know the version and fix level of the software and hardware
we are running. Merlin will help us identify errors faster,
which will help us correct them faster and help contain
administration costs.  With the addition of Desktop Management
Interface, IBM proves that it is still two years ahead of the
competition in terms of system management software," said Smart
Microsystems's Watson.
  
Another key system management component in the next version of
OS/2 Warp will allow LAN administrators to easily view, initiate
and use management services -- including memory capacity
management, help desk utilities, problem notification and
detection, and routine maintenance -- for LAN-connected clients
to ensure quick, seamless operation.
  
With Merlin, LAN administrators will be able to view hardware
configurations in detail and monitor the usage and performance
of critical components, such as processors, disk drives and
memory. Merlin can also alert LAN administrators by sound,
visual pop-ups, or even pagers soon after errors occurs --
sometimes before the end user is aware there is a problem -- so
administrators can resolve problems quickly.
  
Importantly, system managers will be able to conduct
maintenance operations no matter where they are -- whether they
need to access the network from a different server or even from
a PC at home. "IBM has taken a big step forward in increasing
the serviceability of customers business-critical environments.
These tools will drastically reduce the downtime usually
associated with problem diagnosis and service -- and that helps
to reduce the cost of ownership," said Wally Casey, vice
president of client product management, IBM Software Group.
  
Improved Serviceability Computer networks run a range of
hardware, applications, and device drivers, which vastly
complicates the task of network administration.  Expanding the
number of serviceability tools built into the current version of
OS/2 Warp, Merlin will feature new strategic IBM serviceability
technologies such as First Failure Service Technology (FFST)
Probes, Event Tracepoints, Process Dumps and Systems Dumps.
These tools will help administrators manage the complex
variables involved in typical enterprise system problems.
  
o FFST Probes are used to capture all data relevant to an error
at the time the error occurs. FFST Probes identify software
errors by product name, revision, and module, which helps speed
problem identification.
  
o Event Tracepoints enhance failure detection by providing
additional historical information about the failing software
prior to the occurrence of the error.
  
o Process Dumps capture key information about a single OS/2 Warp
process. System Dumps capture a snapshot of the complete state
of an OS/2 Warp system.
  
Merlin also includes a powerful formatter tool that can be used
to analyze both process and system dumps. These tools, combined
with a system error log that contains easily understandable
error messages and recovery directions, provide the user with a
clearer picture of errors that occur on their systems and which
steps to take to resolve the error.
  
For OS/2 Warp software developers, the Merlin Software
Developers Toolkit will include a set of APIs and tools that
will allow them to utilize these serviceability improvements
within their own software. Developers can integrate FFST Probes
and Tracepoints into their code, for example, which can provide
administrators with enhanced error detection capability that
will also help them solve problems faster.
  
More about Merlin
Merlin, the code-name for the next client version of OS/2 Warp,
is currently under development and expected to be generally
available in the second half of 1996. Integrating IBM's latest
VoiceType* technology in speech navigation and dictation, Merlin
will be the first major Intel-based operating system with
built-in speech recognition that will take the concept of
ease-of-use to an entirely new level. It is also the first
desktop operating system to integrate Sun Microsystems' Java**
programming language.
  
In addition to its improved systems management tools and
unmatched connectivity features, Merlin will provide customers
with a broad range of enhancements, including easier-than-ever
Internet access, an improved user interface which includes an
enhanced version of the Lotus SmartCenter, new ease-of-use
features and built-in OpenDoc support.
  
* OS/2, AskPSP and VoiceType are trademarks of IBM Corp.
All other product and service names may be trademarks and/or
service marks of their respective owners.
  
**Java is a trademark of Sun Microsystems Inc.
  
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