ClarioNet Released! SoftVelocity Debuts New Specialized Thin Client for Clarion Applications

Posted June 13 2001

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Media Relations: John Iacovelli, 954-785-4555 john.iacovelli@softvelocity.com
Sales Information: David Merenstein, 800-367-5444 david.merenstein@softvelocity.com

Internet/Intranet Clients Indistinguishable From Desktop Apps in Looks and Performance

Pompano Beach, Florida. June 13 - SoftVelocity™, Inc., manufacturer of the Clarion™ development environment, today announced the release of ClarioNET™. "ClarioNET is a new class of specialized thin client for line of business applications," said Bob Zaunere, CEO of SoftVelocity. "Imagine building a Windows application with all the features your users expect, and then being able to run it over the Internet without any license fees or royalties, and without having to change any of your code. ClarioNET enables one code base for deployment on your internal network or the Internet. A Clarion application combined with the ClarioNET client renders an exact duplicate of the application at any remote location... globally or locally."

Specializing in business database applications, Clarion is in widespread use as a development environment for line of business applications. The ClarioNET solution divides a new or existing Clarion application into an n-tier solution comprised of presentation, application, and database layers. An end user downloads a launcher, as small as 500KB, which can be used for multiple sessions and/or applications. The launcher connects to a server using the HTTP protocol in a series of compressed, encrypted transactions. The server starts an instance of the application, and downloads instructions to the client to create a window and controls. To the end user, it looks and feels exactly like any other Windows application, except for a small "LED" indicator on the caption bar that indicates when the client is sending or receiving information to or from the server. The client supports all functions of a typical Windows application, including printing reports to the client's local printer.

Typically, when a new window is displayed, the client and server exchange usually between one and nine kilobytes of data. Thereafter, only instructions to update data are exchanged, usually less than one kilobyte per exchange. Unlike other remote client products, no constant communications stream needs be maintained with the server, helping to keep bandwidth requirements down, and server activity to a minimum. In tests on a Windows 2000® server with twenty clients opening views into database tables, server CPU activity remained below 15%, and memory usage below 25% on a 512MB system. Only the HTTP protocol is used, insuring compatibility with most firewalls. The ClarioNET solution requires either Microsoft Internet Information Server, or the Clarion Application Broker (a specialized web/application server) on the server side.

SoftVelocity Professional Services is deploying a ClarioNET application for CSRS, (http://www.csrs.ca) a Canadian registry service company based in Richmond, BC. CSRS offers registration and search services throughout Canada. The PPSA Management System delivers centralized database access and reporting for clients wishing to register their loan securities with provincial Personal Property Registries across Canada. Clients include all major chartered banks as well as the big three automobile financing companies.

ClarioNET was created by ClarioNET Solutions, Inc. of Corona Del Mar California. The ClarioNET client is written in the Clarion language, and is fully customizable. ClarioNET development requires either Clarion Professional Edition or Clarion Enterprise Edition, and the ClarioNET library. White papers containing additional information are available at http://www.softvelocity.com/clarionet.

About SoftVelocity
SoftVelocity, Inc. is the provider of the Clarion line of rapid application development tools. Application developers have used Clarion for over two decades. Developers value its blazing speed and ease-of-use. SoftVelocity offers Clarion sales, education, and technical assistance to the worldwide community of Clarion users. SoftVelocity acquired the Clarion product line from TopSpeed Corporation on May 1, 2000. SoftVelocity is a privately held company based in Pompano Beach, Florida with distributors throughout the world. Access the www.softvelocity.com site for further information.