Vendors show their stuff
The highlight of the Netscape Developers' Conference is the namesake company's forthcoming browser and server software, but a number of independent vendors are pitching their own Net products at the show.
More than 2,500 people are attending the event, many of whom are software developers aiming to build applications that leverage Netscape's and, in some cases, Microsoft's growing platform of Web, email, and server software.
The announcements of vendors with product developments this week included the following:
--Informix Software announced that it will expand a set of existing solutions that include Netscape's Web servers and its OnLine database software. Currently, Informix bundles its OnLine Workgroup Server and OnLine Workstation with Netscape's FastTrack server software and Navigator 3.0. Now, the company will offer bundles of Online Dynamic Server and OnLine Extended Parallel Server with Netscape's software.
--Corel announced that a preview version of its upcoming Corel Office for Java is available from the company's Web site. The preview includes WordPerfect for Java, Quattro Pro for Java, and Chart for Java. The full beta versions of the products are scheduled for December.
--NCompass Labs introduced CaptiveX, a collection of five ActiveX controls for Web designers who are creating advertisements. The controls include PowerPanels, which displays and sequences a series of 3D images; Cube, a 3D spinning cube; and Power Labels, which makes text appear to "rush" at a viewer.
--Haht Software plans to ship HahtSite 2.0, a new version of the company's integrated Web development environment, by year's end. Aimed at teams of programmers, HahtSite includes a graphical development interface, and an application server that works with standard Web servers. The company will also sell a separate software development kit for expanding the capabilities of HahtSite. The new version of the product will allow remote debugging, simplify creation of applications that use frames, and improve HahtSite's Web site management capabilities.
--Linguistic Technology announced Expose and English Wizard WebServer, two products that allow users to query SQL databases using ordinary English questions.