By Tim Ouellette
October 21, 1996

At the COMMON midrange users conference in Atlanta this week, vendors will introduce software that makes it easier to access IBM AS/400 data from several platforms and applications.

Expected announcements include the following:

Andrew Corp. in Orland Park, Ill., will unveil a Macintosh client for the IBM AS/400.

Advanced Businesslink Corp. in Bellevue, Wash., will announce software that lets Web browsers run as full-feature AS/400 clients through the use of Java applets.

Starquest Corp. in Berkeley, Calif., will introduce software that lets Unix workstation users directly access AS/400 databases, without using terminal emulation software. IBM already has similar software for OS/2, Windows 3.1 and Windows 95, with an Windows NT client under development.

IBM is developing middleware code-named Project Lightning that will allow applications written in Microsoft Corp.'s Visual Basic to directly access AS/400 data. The software is based on Microsoft's OLE and ActiveX specifications.

IBM will preview Project Unity, a Windows-based interface for han-dling administrative chores on the AS/400.

Observers said the products help make the AS/400 a viable option as a server for client/server systems that use multiple operating systems and applications. At the Common midrange users conference in Atlanta this week, vendors will introduce software that makes it easier to access IBM AS/400 data from several platforms and applications.

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