Tenon Intersystems : Press Release

OS X Transition Strategy for Macintosh Webmasters

WebTen and iTools give WebSTAR users a graceful transition to Apache

Santa Barbara, CA, March 21, 2000. Tenon Intersystems, award winning Mac OS web server developer, announced today a transition strategy for Macintosh webmasters and web developers. Tenon's OS X Transition Package provides a point and click Apache, DNS, and FTP server for Mac OS, Mac OS X Server, and Mac OS X, along with expert technical assistance to help Macintosh webmasters evolve from their current set up to each new platform. For a limited time, WebSTAR customers can purchase the OS X Transition Package for only $795. The package includes WebTen 3.0, NetTen 1.4, iTools 5.0, a free upgrade to iTools for OS X and technical support for each transition -- a $2500 value! A Transition Starter Package, which includes WebTen 3.0, is also being offered for only $199. (NOTE: THE TRANSITION PACKAGE SPECIAL OFFER HAS EXPIRED, THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST)

Because WebTen uses the popular Apache web server engine, moving from WebSTAR to WebTen now will enable Mac OS webmasters to easily transition to Mac OS X, using either Apple's built-in Apache or Tenon's enhanced Apache included with the highly-acclaimed iTools. iTools, Tenon's Apache-based web server for Mac OS X, has been shipping since January and is being used on production sites around the world. iTools for Apple's upcoming Mac OS X is available now for testing in a preliminary version. When Apple starts shipping hardware with OS X, iTools will be a mature, second generation product with a native implementation that takes full advantage of the underlying strength in Apple's new OS and surpasses Carbonized web solutions in both performance and robustness.

Apache is well known as stable, full-strength, feature-rich web server software, used on over six million web sites worldwide. Tenon has taken this mature, integrated, scalable software and extended it with performance enhancements, security, and Macintosh-specific features to make a unique Apache for the Macintosh platform. Tenon's Mac OS-based Apache is running in a pre-emptive multitasking environment and is able to sustain over 1100 hits/second - a five-fold performance advantage over WebSTAR. WebTen is one of the easiest-to-use and fastest Apache web servers in the world.

Tenon's Apache-based web server for Mac OS is the only Apache that supports WebSTAR plug-ins and AppleScript CGIs, alongside of Apache modules and pure Internet-style Perl CGIs. This means that Macintosh webmasters can continue to support all the plug-ins and CGIs that they support today, while gradually evolving toward Apache-based web development tools, such as PHP. The widely used PHP is a scripting language that combines many of the best features of Perl, shell programming, and C and includes a variety of database interfaces. With Tenon technology, Macintosh web developers can begin to embrace standard internet web tools as a first step in transitioning to Apple's preemptive multitasking Mac OS X.

WebTen includes high-performance DNS, multihoming FTP, and SSL. In addition, WebTen includes a fully configurable, multidomain WEBmail, based on the well-established EMUmail. Tenon's WEBmail consists of a mail client and a mail server. The WEBmail client can POP mail from the built-in mail server or from any external mail server. Likewise, any mail client, such as Outlook Express or Eudora, can POP or IMAP mail from the WEBmail server. WEBmail is included in Tenon's iTools as well, so the transition here too will be seamless.

Tenon's alternate mail server package, NetTen, is based on the popular Post.Office from Software.com and can be run on the same platform as WebTen. WebTen's WEBmail can be used with NetTen or with its own accompanying mail server. NetTen provides an alternative to the sendmail-based mail package, included with WEBmail. During this special promotion, NetTen is included in the OS X Transition Package.

WebTen, NetTen, and iTools are downloadable for testing. Tenon technical support engineers are available to help Macintosh webmasters make the transition from WebSTAR, EIMS, and other sundry Macintosh applications to the integrated WebTen package and its companion NetTen package. Web sites can continue to operate as is, while webmasters gain experience with new Apache modules and Apache tools. As requirements for new features grow and as new demands are placed on the server, webmasters can transition to iTools on OS X Server and to OS X, all with a consistent architecture.

Founded in 1989, Tenon Intersystems is a leader in high-performance networking. Tenon technology, combined with the power of Apple's G3 and G4-based machines, is providing the framework for world-class networking on the Macintosh. Last year, WebTen was selected as the Macworld Editor's Choice for Best Server Software, outpacing WebSTAR and Apple's ASIP. Tenon Intersystems can be reached in the U.S. at 805-963-6983, by the Internet at sales@tenon.com, or via the web at www.tenon.com.