IBM United States
Software Announcement 200-380
October 24, 2000

IBM WebSphere Transcoding Publisher Version 3.5 — Extends the Reach of Web Content

ENUS200-380.PDF (164KB)

At a Glance

WebSphere Transcoding Publisher extends the reach of existing Web or XML-based content to new environments. Enhancements in Version 3.5:

Support for WebSphere Application Server Version 3.5
Expanded Pervasive Device Support — Additional device profiles
Additional content transforms:
- HTML to Handheld Device Markup Language (HDML)
- HTML to i-Mode (compact HTML)
- JPEG and GIF images to Wireless Bitmap
Enhanced toolkit functionality
- Improved HTML clipping support (no programming required)
- Expanded XML style sheet support
Improved administration capabilities
Additions to flexible deployment options:
- Reverse proxy configuration
- JavaBean transcoder versions of the new content transforms

For ordering, contact:

Your IBM representative, an IBM Business Partner, or IBM Americas Call Centers at 800-IBM-CALL (Reference: SE001).

Overview

WebSphere™ Transcoding Publisher Version 3.5 provides a content adaptation solution to bridge data and applications across disparate environments and systems. This solution helps you:

Extend the reach of existing Web-based content to new environments such as pervasive computing
Optimize the wireless Web experience for your customers
Customize the content view for the specific end-user environment

The benefit is virtually seamless access to your valuable data and applications.

WebSphere Transcoding Publisher helps you:

Reach new customers
- Provide access to data from a variety of client devices
- Expand the reach of self-service applications for products and services
Improve customer satisfaction
- Provide timely and convenient access to information for the customer, virtually anytime, anywhere
- Deliver customized content to enhance the customer experience
- Virtually eliminate the technology obstacles to the wireless Internet customer
Enhance collaboration with business partners and suppliers
- Simplify integration of disparate data sources for easier data sharing across disparate environments

Key Prerequisites

For Windows NT™ and Windows™ 2000 servers:

PC with a minimum of 512 MB of memory
Pentium™ II, or higher processor
350 MHz, or higher
50 MB of available disk space

For AIX^® on RS/6000^® and Sun Solaris:

50 MB of available disk space
333 MHz, or higher
1 GB of memory

For LINUX^® versions:

512 MB of available memory
Pentium II processor with 350 MHz

Planned Availability Date

November 24, 2000, for electronic delivery
December 20, 2000, for Lotus^®

Description

Today, data is available from many sources, including host systems and Web servers. But the lack of a universal interchange data format limits companies and consumers from exploiting the true value of this rich data.

At the same time, an increasing number of devices can be used to access information, from the traditional PC to the new wireless phones.
The need to manipulate and access all types of existing enterprise data and applications from everywhere, with every kind of device, becomes crucial to streamline e-business.
The ability to deliver data and applications to these devices helps companies expand their customer bases, improve processes, and streamline supply chains.

WebSphere Transcoding Publisher is a server-side software solution that modifies content presented to users based on data protocols, device constraints and organizational policies. Developed from cutting-edge technology at IBM research laboratories, this solution consists of interrelated components that provide an open, extendable, standards-based platform for adapting data to the pervasive environment.

Primary Components

A set of basic content transformations or transcoders
An administration console with the ability to control device profiles and decision criteria for intelligent content modification
A developer's toolkit which provides specific GUI-based tools, sample programs, and detailed documentation that allows the IBM customer to add or build custom transformations, for example.
A pluggable infrastructure that allows the transcoders to take advantage of the same core services. It allows new plug-ins to be quickly integrated into the product offering.

WebSphere Transcoding Publisher helps you:

Reach new customers
- Provide access to data from a variety of client devices
- Expand the reach of self-service applications for product and services
Improve customer satisfaction
- Provide timely and convenient access to information for the customer, virtually anytime, anywhere
- Deliver customized content to enhance the customer experience
- Virtually eliminate the technology obstacles to the wireless Internet customer
Enhance collaboration with business partners and suppliers — simplify integration of disparate data sources for easier data sharing across disparate environments
Deliver results at a reasonable cost
- Eliminate the expense of reauthoring content sources for multiple devices
- Lower maintenance expense that would result from maintaining multiple content sources specific to each device type
- Leverage the WebSphere solution family, an integrated set of products that have been tested together to reduce cost of ownership

Extend Existing Enterprise and Web Content for New Devices

For example, WebSphere Transcoding Publisher can help solve data access problems in the following domains:

Enterprise data: A vast repository of data exists on enterprise host systems. There is a substantial opportunity to extend the use of enterprise data by transcoding the formats — bringing the data out from behind host protocols such as the IBM 3270.
As enterprises expand into new e-business markets and as their work force becomes more mobile and widespread, easy access to enterprise data becomes even more critical. Because up to 80% of all business data residing on mainframes and other host systems growing e-business need quick, easy, and efficient ways to extend data to Web users and to users on the new breed of pervasive devices. The answer is, WebSphere Transcoding Publisher coupled with WebSphere Host Publisher, to implement Web applications (such as Web self-service from existing 3270, 5250, Virtual Terminal, Java™, and JDBC host applications) without modifying the host applications. WebSphere Transcoding Publisher takes that data and extends the reach of hand-held devices by dynamically adjusting the data structures, formats, and representation of the content.
This IBM solution lets you:
- Leverage your existing IT assets
- Reach new markets and users
- Minimize costly development expenses or time-to-market delays
It helps avoid the burden of rewriting and maintaining multiple data sources.

Web Content: The latest e-business trends require that Web content be integrated. As part of a larger solution, it may include Web-based data from business partners and suppliers. The challenge is that not all Web pages are created equally. HTML allows for variation in structure and language dialect. It integrates content from separate Web pages that could involve a substantial amount of rewriting and reprogramming.
It is virtually imperative to extend the reach of Web content to users on nontraditional clients. Consider the mobile user who wants to get weather updates or perform bank transactions from a pervasive device such as a cell phone or an automobile-based browser. The challenge is that Web content is written in HTML, not the specialized markup languages required by the new pervasive devices.
The Web-savvy user expects a solution that provides the same user-friendly experience and convenient access to information. WebSphere Transcoding Publisher solves this problem by:
- Dynamically gathering the different HTML structures
- Tailoring the content of the specific device (a PC on a low-bandwidth network)
- Conveniently delivering the customized content to the user, independent of device-type
This software helps you to extend both the reach and the value of your content without the need to rewrite existing Web data and applications.

A Natural Complement to WebSphere Application Server

For an overall Web serving solution, WebSphere Transcoding Publisher is a natural complement to the WebSphere Application Server because the WebSphere software platform is built on open, reusable technologies. You can leverage your existing resources, shorten development cycles, and ease your administrative burden.

The Standard Edition lets you use Java servlets, JavaServer Pages and XML to transform static Web sites into vital sources of dynamic Web content.
The Advanced Edition is a high-performance EJB server for implementing EJB components that incorporate business logic.
The Enterprise Edition integrates EJB and CORBA components to build high-transaction, high-volume e-business applications.

Together, WebSphere Transcoding Publisher and WebSphere Application Server deliver a robust, full suite of Web application solutions that can now reach nontraditional clients such as cell phones.

Pervasive Devices: The devices that belong to the pervasive computing class include devices such as:
- Palm Pilots
- IBM WorkPads
- Hand-held Microsoft™ Windows CE devices
- Internet-capable cell phones
- Screen phones

Industry reports predict the adoption rate for these devices will continue to rise at an accelerated rate. Both business and consumer users are quickly integrating these devices into their everyday business and leisure habits. It can no longer be assumed that a user accesses data and applications by using a traditional PC client. To reach the same user tomorrow, you may need to enable your applications and content for pervasive devices.

Since hand-held devices are an emerging breed, they are not standardized. They vary in terms of their input and output interfaces, screen real estate and processing capabilities. The challenge is to deliver data and applications in an e-business world filled with countless variables, including:

Network bandwidth (LAN, phone line, wireless)
Computational power (CPU speed, available memory)
Device output capabilities (size limits, small screen size, gray-scale screens, speech, full displays)
User input capabilities (none, voice, pen, buttons, keyboard)
Wide range of application markup languages (HTML, industry dialects of XML, WML, Compact HTML iMode, HDML)

WebSphere Transcoding Publisher can tailor data to these constrained devices so you can reach a growing number of users, both corporate and consumer, who are incorporating these devices into their work, purchasing, and leisure habits. As new standards, protocols, languages, and devices continue to emerge, the open, pluggable framework of WebSphere Transcoding Publisher will allow for virtually seamless integration and the ubiquitous exchange of data.

Within the IBM comprehensive pervasive computing solution, WebSphere Everyplace Suite, WebSphere Transcoding Publisher is offered as a product component. Everyplace Suite combines into one package the necessary "software ingredients" that businesses, application developers, and Web integrators need to accommodate the special needs of new devices.

It has robust data synchronization capabilities to help keep data current across multiple devices and Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) functionality for wireless Internet access. By integrating all the necessary software into an easy to install and deploy solution, WebSphere Everyplace Suite masks many of the complexities of supporting the new breed of pervasive devices, allowing organizations to focus on what matters most to them.

Year 2000

This product does not have date dependencies and is therefore Year 2000 ready.

Euro Currency

This program is not impacted by euro currency.

Product Positioning

WebSphere Transcoding Publisher is a cutting-edge solution that extends Web content to pervasive devices. This solution is ideal for enterprises who own content and service providers who do not own the content. Transcoding Publisher is intended for customers who are asking themselves: "How do I deliver content to pervasive devices?"

Without transcoding technology, companies would have to re-author content across device types, markup languages and source content. Instead, they can deploy WebSphere Transcoding Publisher to dynamically adapt or transcode source content to match particular devices. This becomes increasingly important as business and consumer users integrate the new breed of pervasive devices into their business and leisure habits. The business value comes from the ability to help:

Reach new customers
Improve customer satisfaction
Enable mobile employees
Collaborate with partners and suppliers
Enhance employee productivity
Maximize return on investment
Deploy solutions quickly
Position for the future

For example, WebSphere Transcoding Publisher allows banking customers to access account information from a cell phone or a traveler to get updated flight information on a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA).

WebSphere Transcoding Publisher is the only general transformation solution available today. Two independent product reviews of Version 1.1 have praised WebSphere Transcoding Publisher:

InfoWorld (May 29, 2000) states: "Without making a single change to my existing HTML document, I instructed Transcoding Publisher to display the information from that page on the Nokia 6150 and was happy to receive accurate, quality, readable, and fast results".
e-Week (July 10, 2000) writes that "IBM's WebSphere Transcoding Publisher is easily configurable and offers better administration tools than the other products do."

Trademarks

: WebSphere is a trademark of International Business Machines Corporation in the United States or other countries or both.
: AIX and RS/6000 are registered trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation in the United States or other countries or both.
: Pentium is a trademark of Intel Corporation.
: Windows, Windows NT, and Microsoft are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
: Java is a trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc.
: Lotus is a registered trademark of Lotus Development Corporation.
: Other company, product, and service names may be trademarks or service marks of others.

Offering Information

Product information is available through Offering Information (OITOOL) at:

http://www.ibm.com/wwoi

Publications

No publications are shipped with this program.

Displayable Softcopy Publications: WebSphere™ Transcoding Publisher publications are offered in displayable softcopy form. Two books are available online:

Administrator's Guide
Developer's Guide

Technical Information

Hardware Requirements

For Windows NT™ and Windows™ 2000 servers:

PC with a minimum of 512 MB of memory
Pentium™ II, or higher processor
350 MHz, or higher
50 MB of available disc space

For AIX^® on RS/6000^® and Sun Solaris:

50 MB of available disc space
333 MHz, or higher
1 GB of memory

For LINUX^® versions:

512 MB of available memory
Pentium II processor with 350 MHz

Software Requirements

WebSphere Transcoding Publisher will operate on eight software operating systems. They are:

Microsoft™ Windows NT Server (V4 with SP5) that supports JDK 1.2.2
Microsoft Windows 2000 Server that supports JDK 1.2.2¹
AIX Version 4.3.2, or later, that supports JDK 1.2.2¹
Sun Solaris 7 that supports JDK 1.2.2¹
Red Hat Linux 6.2 that supports JDK 1.3
SuSE 6.4 that supports JDK 1.3
Caldera eServer 2.3 that supports JDK 1.3
Turbo Linux 6.0 that supports JDK 1.3

To use centralized configuration data, you must have SecureWay^® Directory, Version 3.2 installed. Contact your IBM representative.

¹: If running as a servlet, WebSphere Application Server Version 3.5 is required.

Limitations: WebSphere Transcoding Publisher Version 3.5, running as a servlet, is supported on the Microsoft Windows NT server, Windows 2000, the AIX, and the Sun Solaris platforms.

Planning Information

Packaging: The following represents the contents of each program package:

WebSphere Transcoding Publisher CD-ROM
Proof of Entitlement (PoE)
License Information Booklet (LI)
International Program License Agreement (IPLA) Booklet
IPLA pointer sheet
Year 2000 Service Reminder
Service Key Card

Security, Auditability, and Control

WebSphere Transcoding Publisher uses the security and auditability features of the particular operating system that it runs on.

The customer is responsible for evaluation, selection, and implementation of security features, administrative procedures, and appropriate controls in application systems and communication facilities.

Ordering Information

The price of WebSphere Transcoding Publisher Version 3.5 is based on the number of processors in the system executing all or any part of WebSphere Transcoding Publisher. In the case of a symmetric multiprocessor (SMP) system, the user must also acquire the "one processor install entitlement."

The following example illustrates the pricing methodology: Two 4-way SMPs, for stand-alone systems in a larger system, would require the WebSphere Transcoding Publisher Version 3.5 program package and seven "one processor install entitlements".

                                             Part
Program Name                                 Number
 
WebSphere Transcoding Publisher Version 3.5
Program Package
 
English                                      11K8034
 
                                             Part
Program Name                                 Number
 
WebSphere Transcoding Publisher Version 3.5
1 Processor Install
 
English                                      11K8038

Upgrades

To order this product as a competitive upgrade, you must be currently licensed for any full-function content transformation product ("Competitive Offering"), including, but not limited to:

Oracle Portal-to-Go
Aether Software ScoutWeb
Everypath wireless web services
AvantGo Enterprise Online software

You will be eligible for the competitive upgrade price on a single license of WebSphere Transcoding Publisher for each license of a Competitive Offering you trade in.

For purposes of a competitive upgrade, a single license of a Competitive Offering will be based on the terms of such license: (i) if your Competitive Offering is licensed to you on a per processor basis, then each such license will be deemed a single Competitive Offering license; or (ii) if your Competitive Offering is licensed to you on a per user basis, then every 1000 license users, or in cases where there are less than 1000, such number up to 1000 licensed users, will be deemed a single Competitive Offering license. For example, (i) if you have 500 user licenses for your Competitive Offering, then you will be eligible to upgrade to a single license of WebSphere Transcoding Publisher and (ii) if you have 2500 user licenses for your Competitive Offering, then you will be eligible to upgrade to three licenses of WebSphere Transcoding Publisher.

If your Competitive Offering is not licensed to you per processor or per user, you should contact your IBM representative for details on what will be deemed a single Competitive Offering license.

WebSphere Transcoding Publisher Version 3.5 replaces earlier versions of this product. Existing WebSphere Transcoding Publisher customers without a subscription may choose to upgrade to WebSphere Transcoding Publisher Version 3.5. Upgrade pricing is referenced in the Prices section. New and additional licenses that are not upgrades must be acquired at the customer's entitled price through the respective ordering system.

                                             Part
Description                                  Number
 
WebSphere Transcoding Publisher Version 3.5
Program Package Upgrade
 
English                                      11K8036
 
WebSphere Transcoding Publisher Version 3.5
1 Processor Install Upgrade
 
English                                      11K8039

Passport Advantage

                                                  Part
Description                                       Number
 
Transcoding Publisher Version 3.5 -- One Processor
 
VPO Instl                                         D4744ML
VPO Instl/SW Sub 1 Year                           D4745ML
VPO Instl/SW Sub 2 Years                          D4746ML
VPO SW Sub Rnwl                                   E1747ML
 
VPO SW Sub 1 Year                                 D4748ML
VPO SW Sub 2 Years                                D4749ML
 
CO Instl/SW Sub 1st Anniversary                   D474JML
CO Instl/SW Sub 2nd Anniversary                   D474KML
 
CO SW Sub 1st Anniversary                         D474NML
CO SW Sub 2nd Anniversary                         D474SML
 
CO Supt 1st Anniversary                           AS74TML
CO Instl/SW Sub/Supt 1st Anniversary              D474YML
CO Instl/SW Sub/Supt 2nd Anniversary              D4753ML
 
CO SW Sub/Supt 1st Anniversary                    D47FLML
CO SW Sub/Supt Rnwl 1st Anniversary               D475LML
CO SW Sub Rnwl                                    E174LML
 
VPO Trd Instl/Sw Sub 1st Anniversary              D47MHML
CO Trd Instl/Sw Sub 1st Anniversary               D47P2ML
CO Trd Instl/Sw Sub Supt 1st Anniversary          D57MUML

Media Packs

                                             Part
Media Pack                                   Number
 
WebSphere Transcoding Publisher Version 3.5
 
English                                      BE7R6NA
Brazilian Portuguese                         BE7R6BP
Japanese                                     BE7R6JA
Korean                                       BE7R6KO
Simplified Chinese                           BE7R6SC
Traditional Chinese                          BE7R6TC
French                                       BE7R6FR
German                                       BE7R6DE
Italian                                      BE7R6IT
Spanish                                      BE7R6ES

Terms and Conditions

Licensing: IPLA.. PoEs are required for all authorized use.

LI Form Number: There is no form number for the LI booklet for IPLA programs.

Limited Warranty Applies: Yes

Program Services: Available until October 31, 2002

Money-Back Guarantee: 30-day, money-back guarantee

Copy and Use on Home/Portable Computer: No

Volume Orders (IVO): No

Passport Advantage Applies: Yes

Passport Advantage Subscription Applies: Yes

Upgrades: Customers can acquire upgrades up to the currently authorized level of use of the qualifying programs.

Support Line: Yes

AIX/UNIX^® Upgrade Protection Applies: No

Entitled Upgrade for Current AIX/UNIX Upgrade Protection Licensees: No

AS/400^® Software Subscription Applies: No

Variable Charges Apply: No

Educational Allowance Available: Not applicable

Prices

Contact your IBM representative for charges information for this announcement.

Order Now

 Use Priority/Reference Code: SE001
 
 Phone:     800-IBM-CALL
 Fax:       800-2IBM-FAX
 Internet:  ibm_direct@us.ibm.com
 Mail:      IBM Atlanta Sales Center
            Dept. SE001
            P.O. Box 2690
            Atlanta, GA  30301-2690

You can also contact your local IBM Business Partner or IBM representative. To identify them, call 800-IBM-4YOU.

Note: Shipments will begin after the planned availability date.