With OpenLink we established a secure channel simply by turning on an encryption flag in the configuration files of both the client and server. OpenChannel products provide secure connections as options to its base package. It's easy to say that Microsoft should have designed the ODBC specification with this kind of architecture from the beginning. Microsoft wasn't interested in developing the network-level protocol that is essential to these products. The standard API was the only goal.
Cost is another factor.
By the time you read this column, many of the questions racing through my mind probably will have been answered, but I'm guessing the answers will not be satisfactory. I am writing this on Tuesday, September 11, the day we, as American citizens, lost our innocence. Due to the tragic events within our country, The Network Computing Shoot Out and Best of Show Awards ceremony have been postponed until a later date. Please check back for information on revised event dates. Thank you for understanding.