IBM Announces Distribution of 12,000 Copies of OS/2 Warp Server Beta

AUSTIN, Texas, September 26, 1995 ... Between August 28 and September 15,
IBM distributed 12,000 copies of the beta version of OS/2 Warp Server to
testers worldwide, making it the largest beta program for any IBM Personal
Software Products server product. The beta is receiving outstanding
initial response from testers, including customers, analysts, VARs, system
integrators and consultants.

"I was using NT 3.5 on my server but was not impressed. It dumps people off
the network and its interface is not truly object-oriented. Neither is
Windows 95. It's clumsy and unstable," said Christopher McCarthy, software
development manager at Gemmac, Inc. "When I heard that OS/2 Warp Server
was coming out, I decided to try it. Its interface is more intuitive and
so far everything is running just the way I had hoped. I don't plan on
switching back to NT."

The OS/2 Warp Server beta has also been made available to IBM Business
Enterprise Solutions Team (BESTeam) members. It is the first time that
BESTeam members have been actively included in a broad-scale beta program.
BESTeam is IBM's desktop software recruitment and support program for
value added resellers, network integrators and consultants.

"OS/2 Warp Server is going to make IBM even more competitive in the
market," said Bill Allred, vice president and national sales director of
Compu Electronics, a mid-size VAR and BESTeam member. "In its integration
of OS/2 Warp and tried-and-true LAN Server 4.0, Warp Server offers a
complete network operating system that leapfrogs any in the marketplace
today."

"We couldn't be more thrilled about the OS/2 Warp Server beta program,"
said Phil Powers, director of marketing for LAN Systems, IBM Personal
Software Products. "We have shipped twice as many beta copies as
originally planned for this timeframe and are receiving high praise from
large and small business beta testers and from resellers and industry
analysts."

OS/2 Warp Server is IBM's business server solution for customers ranging
from small businesses to large enterprises. It provides an integrated
platform for the growing application server environment as well as a
complete set of traditional file and print services by combining the
battle-tested OS/2 Warp and LAN Server 4.0 with a wealth of functional
enhancements in system management, backup, remote access and advanced
print function. OS/2 Warp Server also supports multiple clients including
OS/2 Warp, DOS, Windows 3.x, Windows 95, and Windows NT.

"I believe that Warp Server has great potential in the market," said R.J.
Sakakeeney, director of field research at the Aberdeen Group. "Based on
this beta and the product road map I've seen, it appears that Warp Server
will provide a great platform for both the file and print and growing
application server arena."

Other beta tester reactions include:

o "IBM has done it! The automatic installation in OS/2 Warp Server
  makes  it easy for a LAN administrator to start the installation,
  walk away to do other things, and come back to find everything
  installed," said Bill Howey, senior systems consultant at AVCO
  Financial Services Corp.  "It has the best GUI tools for a network
  administrator."

o "I'm impressed that such an industrial-strength, high-end tool is
  being brought down to the user level,"  said Keith Grey.  "I like
  the progress I've seen over the past two years, advancing a
  top-to-bottom and horizontal-to-vertical vision to make things work
  together on open systems. It's what I'm banking on professionally
  and personally as the way to go."

o "I'm very impressed with the installation routine.  It's the easiest
  installation I've done with an OS/2 product," said Jason Jeremias
  with a Big Six accounting firm. "I'm also surprised this is a beta
  version, it seems very stable."

Following on the heels of OS/2 Warp Connect, IBM's network client operating
system, OS/2 Warp Server complements IBM's family of scalable network
solutions to meet any size customer need.  Now in beta cycle, OS/2 Warp
Server is expected to be generally available in the first quarter of
1996.
 
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