Content area
Full Text
Company pushes for NT application ties to mainframe info, but users say `Why bother?'
Microsoft Corp. wants to take its SNA Server package to the next level, but users aren't so sure they'll be tagging along.
No longer satisfied with providing simple PC-to-mainframe gateway connectivity, the company is fitting its upcoming SNA Server 4.0 package with new transaction-oriented features that will make it a high-powered conduit between legacy and Windows NT-based applications.
A noble cause, say industry analysts, as Microsoft tries to procure a front-row seat for NT Server in the enterprise. At the same time, corporations are considering moving traditional business-critical applications off the mainframe down to more affordable hardware.
But systems administrators who have sampled SNA Server 4.0 beta code argue they are not ready to take this leap of faith with Microsoft.
"I get what I need from SNA 3.0 now. That's basic connectivity at really decent speeds," said Dave Koptik, systems architect with Baxter Health Care, in McGaw Park, Ill....