From: sphipps@vnet.ibm.com (Simon Phipps)
Date: Tue, 10 Nov 92 17:03:54 GMT
Newsgroups: comp.groupware
Subject: IBM Announces Person To Person/2 Collaboration Software
Reply-To: sphipps@vnet.ibm.com
Organization: IBM UK Laboratories Ltd, Hursley Park
News-Software: UReply 3.0

NOTE:  The following information is posted here as I believe it will
be of great interest to the CSCW community to know that IBM is
to produce a mass-market collaboration system.  It is not intended
to be a commercial posting.
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Methods of improving communication and decision making between people are in
increasing demand.  With the growing power of desktop workstations and the
advent of widespread high bandwidth data networks, new methods encompassing
digital data, graphics, image and even realtime digital video in addition to
voice have become practical.  Allowing several users to communicate and col-
laborate on a single piece of work, although in separate locations, is called
Computer Supported Collaborative Working (CSCW).

IBM Person to Person/2 Version 1.0 provides CSCW for multiple users connected
by local or remotely bridged LAN or ASYNC communication links and enables the
establishment, administration and termination of remote meetings.  The
product includes basic desktop conferencing utilities which allow
collaborative workers to share and annotate the information in an OS/2(2)
window on the screen.  Under the control of members of the collaborative work
session, windows may be seen by all members of the group.  All users see the
same window content, which can be discussed using office telephones.  With
the appropriate optional hardware and software the users can also see one
another or other real time images in a video window on their screens.

IBM Person to Person/2 Version 1.0 will be marketed under the ULTIMEDIA
brandname.


Planned Availability Date:  February 26, 1993
National Language Versions: April 23, 1993

Statement of Direction/Intent:

IBM provides the following Statement of Direction in order to facilitate
customer planning.

 1.  It is IBM's(r) intention that future releases of Person to Person/2
     (*) will run on Microsoft Windows(r*), IBM AIX(r) and Apple System 7
     (r**)operating systems.

 2.  It is intended that these releases of Person to Person/2 will inter-
     operate among these platforms when using functions which are common
     to all platforms.

 3.  It is IBMs intention to provide an Application Program Interface
     which will enable collaborative communications across these plat-
     forms.

 4.  It is intended that these releases of Person to Person/2 will also
     support applicable CCITT Recommendations for multimedia services
     audiovisual terminals.

 5.  This release of Person to Person/2 has ISDN capability.  IBM also
     intends to deliver ISDN capability with the communications manager
     function of OS/2 during the first half of 1993. Once this is deliv-
     ered the Person to Person/2 ISDN function will be enabled.  Between
     now and general availability IBM will make available, to a selected
     number of customers, early versions of these capabilities for test
     and evaluation purposes.

Announcement and shipment of these functions will be based on IBM's
technical and business judgement.


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Operational Details:

 COLLABORATION IN ACTION
 _______________________

                     The Call Manager logs and displays information about your
                     calls.  Voice calls over the telephone network can be
                     called automatically if a suitable modem is available, or
                     you can dial them yourself.  Incoming calls can be
                     barred, or answered manually or automatically.

                     The Call Manager works in conjunction with the Address
                     Book Manager.  The address book is where you store the
                     name, userid and telephone number of people you wish to
                     contact with Person to Person/2. The Address Book Manager
                     can be used to initiate a conference and set up the data
                     links you need, or you can do this using various confer-
                     encing functions.

                     more typically, another application window can be mir-
                     rored in them, providing a shared workspace that partic-
                     ipants can use with a simple box of drawing tools to
                     enter lines, text and annotate the chalkboard contents.

                     The Chalkboard provides 'What you see is what I see' -
                     interactive, real time, collaboration.

                     Shared clipboard is another way of sharing data from
                     applications and is an extension of the OS/2 clipboard.
                     This enables you to share your clipboard with other par-
                     ticipants, so they can 'Paste' what you 'Copy' into one
                     of their applications.

                     Talk offers a simple way of exchanging text messages with
                     other participants.  These messages can be logged and
                     retrieved, but not all Person to Person/2 conferences
                     need a telephone call.  Some may be across language bar-
                     riers where text is easier to understand, or within a
                     small LAN community where sessions may last for long
                     periods.


                     File Transfer allows transfer of files to and from col-
                     leagues.  Any file on your system can be sent and there
                     is a facility to prefix the files with a message.

                     Video extends the collaborative sharing of data to
                     include the visual sharing of either live or prerecorded
                     images of people or objects.  Video windows are limited
                     to one quarter of the screen, and there is a privacy
                     option which inhibits pictures from your camera being
                     transmitted.


  TECHNICAL INFORMATION
  _____________________



  Machine Requirements

                      o   IBM Personal System/2 Computer or compatible

                          -   386SX or higher processor
                          -   8 Mb minimum memory (12 Mb recommended)

                      o   Pointing device

                          -   IBM PS/2 Mouse or other pointing device supported
                              by IBM OS/2 V2.0
                          -   IBM 8516 Touch Display

                      Plus one of the following communications adapters:

                      o   Integrated Async port or IBM Dual Async Adapter/A
                      o   Any Local Area Network adapter supported by OS/2 V2.0
                          NetBIOS

                      In addition, the following hardware options are sup-
                      ported:


                           Tablets         IBM 5083, IBM 6093, WACOM * SD 510C

                           Printers        Standard OS/2 support

                           Modems          IBM 7855 Mod 10
                                           Hayes Ultrasmart ***
                                           US Robotics Courier ****

                           Internal or other approved modems that support
                           AT command set may be used for autodialing

                           Digital Video support:

                              - IBM PS/2 ActionMedia II Display Adapter/A 2MB
                              - IBM PS/2 ActionMedia II Display Adapter 2MB
                              - IBM PS/2 ActionMedia II Capture Option


  Programming Requirements

                      Person to Person/2 requires IBM Operating System/2
                      Version 2.0

                      In addition, the following software components may be
                      required depending on the configuration and communication
                      facilities to be supported:


                      1.  Local Area Networks

                          a.  NetBIOS support from one of the following is
                              required:

                              o   IBM Network Transport Services/2
                              o   The IBM LAN Enabler Version 2.0
                              o   OS/2 V2.0 Extended Services
                              o   OS/2 V2.0 Local Area network (LAN) Server 2.0

                          b.  For compatibility with existing Novell Networks,
                              ***** Novell NetWare V3.11 with appropriate
                              upgrade for IBM OS/2 V2.0

                      2.  IBM Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol
                          Version 1.2.1 for OS/2

                      3.  ActionMedia II Audio Visual Kernel Version 1.10.1, as
                          provided with the ActionMedia II adapters referred to
                          above.


  Trademarks

                      o   IBM Operating System/2 OS/2 and PS/2 are registered
                          trademarks of International Business Machines Corpo-
                          ration
                      o   Ultimedia, Person to Person/2, and Presentation
                          Manager are trademarks of International Business
                          Machines Corporation
                      o   * Wacom is a trademark of Wacom Co Ltd
                      o   *** Ultrasmart is a trademark of Hayes Corporation
                      o   **** Courier is a trademark of US Robotics
                      o   ***** Novell is a trademark of Novell Inc
                      o   ****** ActionMedia ia a trademark of Intel Corpo-
                          ration
                      o   Windows is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation

\\\  Simon Phipps, External Technical Liaison    p2p@vnet.ibm.com    ///
\\\  IBM Person To Person/2 Development Team     +44-962-844433x8339 ///
>>>  Hursley Park, Winchester, SO21 2JN, UK                          <<<
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///          Developing Tomorrow's CSCW Solutions Today!             \\\