Hi all,
Several people on this ND dev list have asked me to clarify
what iPlanet is, and how it relates to Sun/Netscape/ND/etc.
Last year, iPlanet was a growing startup company that built
an exceptionally good server software product for building
secure virtual private networks, browsable by Java clients
embedded in typical web browsers.
A corporate MIS department would buy the iPlanet server,
and then any corporate employee could use any Java-enabled
browser from anywhere in the world to securely access the
corporate intranet. This is a powerful and simple idea.
For example, a salesperson can go into a generic computer
at Kinkos, and use the Netscape browser to visit a public
web page that loads a Java applet. The applet prompts for
authentication (username, password, smartcard number, etc)
and then makes a secure connection to the corporate proxy,
which in turn can load private intranet webpages.
The iPlanet server did a particularly good job at providing
real-world tools for reading email, transferring files,
caching webpages, and even using full-blown applications.
For example, iPlanet can serve as an X-windows proxy
for graphical Unix desktop applications, and can even
proxy Microsoft Windows so your web browser will display
your office desktop and all your normal MS applications.
The most widespread need for the iPlanet server was for
companies with travelling salespeople. These salespeople
wanted a way to connect to any generic network (like AOL),
then tunnel into the corporate intranet to check email,
fill out a webpage form, edit an Excel spreadsheet, etc.
More than a year ago, before either NetDynamics and iPlanet
were bought by Sun, we initiated extensive discussions about
a broad partnership. We thought that the iPlanet server and
the NetDynamics server are natural compliments, and we saw
ourselves working for a lot of the same customers: companies
that want to build extensive dynamic intranets using ND,
that also want to provide remote access using iPlanet.
As luck would have it, Sun bought both NetDynamics and iPlanet.
We were (and are) excited to be working with the iPlanet team.
Next, Sun and AOL bought Netscape, and called the resulting
group "The Alliance" until a better name could be found.
The Alliance is selling Netscape servers, bulk AOL accounts
to large companies that want to enable field sales forces,
and also providing free software like the Netscape browser.
Everything in The Alliance has a natural synergy with
NetDynamics and iPlanet, so Sun moved both of our teams
into The Alliance. This makes a lot of sense to me.
By coincidence, someone in Sun's marketing department
thought that "iPlanet" was a great name, and since Sun
already owned the rights to the name and the web domain,
Sun decided to rename "The Alliance" to "iPlanet".
So here is the easy summary:
Sun/Netscape = Sun/AOL = The Alliance = iPlanet
I know that Sun marketing has confused people;
just remember that the core products are the same:
1. Bulk AOL accounts for large companies.
2. Netscape browsers, web servers, commerce servers, etc.
3. The iPlanet tunnel server for secure tunnels into intranets.
4. Services like professional consulting, portal hosting, etc.
5. NetDynamics and Kiva/NAS appservers for dynamic web apps.
When NetDynamics and Kiva/NAS merge, the new server will be
called "the Alliance Appserver" or "the iPlanet Appserver".
I hope this helps clarify things.
As usual, email me if you have questions.
Cheers,
Joel Henderson
home: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
work: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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