EDITOR'S NOTE: MAKING THE WEB MORE PERSONAL

On my IBM ThinkPad® desktop are the applications I use most often to do my work—such as e-mail, a word processor, a spreadsheet program, a 3270 host emulator, and a Web browser. It probably looks very much like your desktop. As long as I carry my ThinkPad with me, I can have the same desktop everywhere I go.

Wouldn't it be nice, though, if I could have my personal desktop even when I used another PC—in the office of a colleague down the hall, or even in another company location? Wouldn't it be nice if each application displayed fields and data based on my personal needs and prefer-ences? And wouldn't it be nice if a single sign-on gave me access to all of the applications I need?

That's the concept of profile serving, which is the centerpiece of IBM SecureWay On-Demand Server V2. Profile serving brings a personal touch to the Web— delivering personalized access and applications to each user, based on the user's unique needs and preferences.

Another kind of personal touch has become part of the corporate network at Renaissance Cruises, Inc. As our cover story explains, IBM SecureWay Host On-Demand gives travel consultants at Renaissance easy access to the company's main reservations application. Using a customized Web user interface rather than the traditional "green-screen" interface, consultants can take information and answer ques-tions in a customer-friendly way rather than spend their time having to navigate through the application.

Finally, some very personal data—about retirement-fund accounts—is being served up by the North Carolina Department of State Treasurer. With the IBM SecureWay Host Integration Solution, state agencies and the account administrator can quickly and easily access the account information they need—without compromising the organization's strict privacy policies.

What's next? Our new SecureWay Host Publisher product (currently in beta test) will enable you to create Web self-service applications that are built with data from your host and tailored to the interests or buying patterns of your users.

At IBM we're proud of the many ways that SecureWay Software is helping make the Web more personal—and helping you succeed in e-business.

Larry Kunz
Editor, SecureWay Connection