Rash's Judgment: Into the Valley of the Shadow of MIS
 
Microbytes Daily News Service
Copyright (c) 1989, McGraw-Hill, Inc.
Is the term "open system" becoming synonymous with "Hang on to
your wallet?" Hewlett-Packard's introduction of NewWave Office,
especially when combined with similar recent announcements of
office integration software from DEC and IBM, would make one
wonder. If these packages have one thing in common, it is that
they tie the previously independent personal computer user into
the world of the MIS department. While details of how they do
this will differ, the fact remains that once again, the data used
by individuals will be under the control of the MIS department.
 
To make matters worse, average users will also depend on the MIS
department to install the complex "office" software, upgrade the
machine's memory, and program access to the SQL database that
will hold all the corporate information. No longer will you
simply requisition Lotus 1-2-3 when you think you need a
spreadsheet. Instead, you will have to get everything installed
and set up by the guys in the computer room.
 
Remember when you depended on those same folks to write a little
Cobol code for you?
 
Actually, the system that H-P has announced is probably the least
onerous of the bunch. It will use de facto standards, including
Novell and 3Com networking, and it will use an extended DOS
package to run things on the workstation. At least it has escaped
from the budget-numbing requirements of IBM's OfficeVision and
will employ hardware and software that normal users are likely to
have access to.
 
In addition, since NewWave is really Microsoft Windows in a
shell, most Windows applications should work, so you won't
actually have to wait for NewWave applications to appear shortly
before the turn of the millennium. It's a package that you could
actually use now. But it's not an open system, despite what HP
says. It might become an open system of sorts eventually, though,
if HP keeps its promises. Right now, NewWave Office requires you
to use an HP minicomputer as the server, and HP's SQL server
software to hold the data. The company says it has plans to
expand to other platforms including OS/2 and forms of Unix beyond
HP-UX next year.
 
Despite the fact that the HP version of centralized processing is
less intrusive than others, is it what your company needs? There
is no question that most companies need to control their data.
After all, the value of the information on all of those
20-megabyte hard disks is a major company asset, and a company
certainly needs to see that it is safe and available when needed.
On the other hand, a company also needs to have a system that it
can afford to implement and use, and it needs a system that
people will use. There's some question whether NewWave Office or
any of its competitors are that system.
 
What's actually needed by most companies is a method by which
necessary data is kept safe from loss, corruption, theft, or
alteration. There are products that will accomplish this, just as
there are management procedures and training that will enhance
both safety and usefulness. For the most part, security is
already provided by the LAN operating software. Novell and 3Com
are both good in this area. You can always use the company
mainframe, or a device such as the 2.2-gigabyte tape drive from
Mountain Computer or the Vast unit from Emerald Systems. The
problem is that these products are not flashy and graphical, and
they don't make the power user in the purchasing department
salivate, and they don't promise complete control to the MIS
department. They are called computer security systems and
centralized archiving. They work, they are not expensive, and
they solve the real problem, which is protection of the corporate
data. Unfortunately, they're not very sexy and they don't do
windows.
 
                              --- Wayne Rash
 
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
