HP MPower Competitive Survey A Comparison of Multimedia Features Provided by HP, Sun, SGI, DEC, and IBM Part #5091-7417E Table of Contents 1. Introduction 1 Goals of This Survey 1 Caveats 1 What to Read 2 2. HP Collaborative Multimedia Program 3 What Is HP's Collaborative Multimedia Program? 3 Components of HP's Collaborative Multimedia Program 3 3. Competitive Strategies and Capabilities 6 Common Aspects of Vendor's Strategies 6 Hewlett-Packard 7 Sun Microsystems 12 Digital Equipment Corporation 16 Silicon Graphics 21 International Business Machines 25 4. Channel Partners 33 HP Channel Partners 33 Third Party Tables 33 5. Pricing 41 Sun Microsystems 41 Digital Equipment Corporation 42 Silicon Graphics Inc. 43 IBM Workstations 44 PCs and Compatibles 45 6. The PC Market 47 Standards 47 Difficulties with PCs for Collaborative Multimedia 48 7. Why HP Wins in Collaborative Computing 49 Ten Reasons Why HP Wins 49 Selling Tips 51 Bibliography 55 Publications and Other Sources 55 Other Input 57 Introduction This section describes the goals and caveats of this survey. It also directs you to specific sections to read if you don't have time to look through the entire document. Goals of This Survey This survey is designed for HP sales reps, authorized channel partners, and other HP personnel. After reading this survey, you should feel confident discussing the competition with and demonstrating HP's advantages to your customers. Specifically, the goals of this survey are to: Provide an understanding of the HP Collaborative Computing program which includes MPower as a component. See Section 2, "HP Collaborative Multimedia Program." Discuss in detail the strategies and features of the solutions provided by Sun, DEC, SGI, and IBM. See Section 3, "Competitive Strategies and Capabilities." Give an overview of the third-party multimedia and collaborative solutions available for HP and its competitors. See Section 4, "Channel Partners." Compare how much it costs to implement a collaborative multimedia solution on the HP platform with how much it costs to implement a solution on competitive platforms. See Section 5, "Pricing." Briefly outline the dynamics of the PC marketplace. See Section 6, "PC Market." Provide hard-hitting reasons why HP's solution is the best as well as specific tips for selling against each competitor. See Section 7, "Why HP Wins In Collaborative Computing." Caveats The information for this survey came from trade journals, vendor- supplied materials, interviews with HP personnel, discussions with pre- sales representatives for each competitive vendor, and the Computer Select Library. (Refer to the bibliography for more information.) This survey is not a hands-on competitive analysis. The products were not used or tested on-line, no competitive documentation was read, no customers who have used the products were interviewed. As a result, most of the information is factual and not qualitative. Available features and products are reported. The quality of those features is not judged. (In the few instances when quality of a specific feature is discussed, the information is based on an interview with someone at HP.) In addition, the dynamic nature of the market makes it impossible to develop a competitive analysis that remains accurate forever. New products and ports are being introduced all the time. All vendors frequently change their strategies. However, this survey is an accurate reflection of HP's relative strengths and weaknesses. What to Read The information below will guide you to specific sections to read. For Information On: See Page: HP's strategy 3 HP's capabilities 7 Quick reference table comparing capabilities of each vendor 31 Ten reasons why HP wins 49 Tips for selling against each vendor 51 HP Collaborative Multimedia Program This section explains HP's Collaborative Multimedia Program. What Is HP's Collaborative Multimedia Program? HP's Collaborative Multimedia Program offers three progressively useful steps toward dramatically enhanced communication. Step 1: Stand-Alone Multimedia Multimedia is defined as incorporating sounds, real-world images, animation, and full-motion video with traditional text and graphics available on a desktop computer. Multimedia has been associated with stand-alone applications such as computer-based training or presentations on a PC or Apple Mac. The benefit of stand-alone multimedia is improved user-to-computer communication. Step 2: Distributed Multimedia HP's provision for distributed access to multimedia improves not only user-to-computer communication but also user-to-team communication. HP's audio and image capabilities use the X client-server paradigm to make access to sounds and images possible for a wider range of end users. Distributed multimedia also provides a familiar programming environment for software developers. Developers can use these media types in advanced distributed applications that capitalize on the Series 700's performance and leadership in distributed computing. Step 3: Collaborative or Shared Multimedia HP's offering goes beyond distributed multimedia to collaborative multimedia using technologies such as HP SharedX and multimedia mail. These technologies let one user simultaneously share text, graphics, images, or audio with one or more other users across the network. Users can hold conferences where each participant can hear (via the telephone), see, and input to a window displayed on their screen, simultaneously. Components of HP's Collaborative Multimedia Program HP's Collaborative Multimedia Program is made up of four components: High-performance multimedia workstations. Commitment to multimedia standards. HP Multimedia Channel Partners. HP MPower. This section introduces each of these components. High-Performance Multimedia Workstations HP's second-generation Series 700 workstations are ideal platforms for collaborative multimedia applications. With five workstation models plus X Stations, the Series 700 provides every price/performance point needed to configure a network of multimedia workstations. HP's client- server architecture also provides powerful servers such as Models 735 or 755 that serve many low-cost clients, such as Model 715s or X Stations. HP's workstation platform multimedia capabilities also include the optional HP RasterOps VideoLive EISA board. With this card, users can viewlive full-motion video in photorealistic color or grayscale. Video can be input from a variety of sources such as TV tuners, VCRs, camcorders, RGB cameras, medical scanners and the HP ScanJet IIc color scanner. Commitment to Multimedia Standards As with any new technology, the standards environment for multimedia is in flux. HP's approach to multimedia standards is: Adopt standards that exist or are likely to be widely accepted. For example, HP supports the CCITT Group 3 fax standard and uses the JPEG standard compression algorithm. Provide data interoperability with widely used platforms. For example, HP supports TIFF bit-mapped files and the several audio file formats including Sun, PC, and linear8offset (Mac). Participate in standards efforts. For example, as a member of the X Consortium and the Interactive Multimedia Association (IMA), HP sits on a number of technical working groups. All of the workstation vendors, Apple Computer, and Microsoft are actively participating in the IMA. The IMA's goal is to develop standard multimedia APIs. HP Multimedia Channel Partners HP is committed to ensuring the availability of all multimedia technologies that its customers need. When HP itself does not provide a particular technology or product feature, it actively encourages and supports its Channel Partners to fill in the gaps. HP especially focuses on identifying partners who offer the highest quality, best-of-breed solutions. The number of HP Multimedia Channel Partners is long and growing. It includes many of the leading names in various technology areas. Channel Partners are discussed in more detail in Section 4 below. MPower: Communication through Collaborative Multimedia HP MPower is the fourth and most recent entry to HP's Collaborative Multimedia Program. While other workstation and PC vendors provide many of the components previously described -- multimedia-enriched desktop systems, industry standards, and third-party solutions -- HP has gone further to provide an integrated solution that helps HP users get their jobs done better and faster. MPower offers a complete, integrated, pre-installed, and inexpensive multimedia solution. With HP MPower, users get a full range of multimedia types (audio, image, graphics, video frames, and text) with five ways of sharing information (print, mail, fax, Shared Whiteboard, and real-time application sharing -- SharedX). The result is natural and effective communication and collaboration among project team members. With MPower, teams of remote users can dynamically share many forms of information instantaneously from their desktops. For example, members of a team -- in the same building or around the world -- can send audio, video frames, and images through electronic mail. They can also mark up a product brochure or electronics drawing on their displays, just as they might on paper or on a chalkboard. But with the advantage that the image with annotations appears simultaneously on other team members' remote displays. Finally, MPower allows information from one multimedia application to be easily transferred to another. For example, a video frame generated by a camcorder can be emailed or faxed simply by dragging the icon and dropping it on the mail or fax icon. competitive Strategies and Capabilities. This section compares the multimedia strategies and capabilities for HP's primary competitors -- Sun Microsystems, Digital Equipment Corporation, Silicon Graphics, and IBM, including: The strategy outlined by each vendor. The progress each vendor has made toward achieving its strategy. The capabilities each vendor offers, focusing specifically on the major features of MPower: GUI, audio, image, video, fax, scan, print, SharedX, shared screen, multimedia email, headphones, etc. How those capabilities are provided, e.g., whether they are available on the platform and if they are available, whether they are provided by the vendor as a standard feature, provided by the vendor as an optional feature, or provided by third parties. A summary of each vendor's strengths and weaknesses. A table at the end of the section summarizes the capabilities of HP and its competitors. Common Aspects of Vendor's Strategies According to one journal: The workstation vendors' approach includes emphasizing group productivity through networking and making products easy enough to use for their installed base of scientific, engineering and professional workstations. This philosophy should drive workstation multimedia product development for at least the next three years as vendors help their customers to support geographically dispersed workgroups with multimedia electronic mail, screen-sharing, video conferencing and similar tools. (Multimedia Computing and Presentations, February 10, 1992.) The workstation vendors' strategies for multimedia do not vary greatly. Except for SGI, they all do the following: Stress distributed computing on a client-server platform. Focus on collaborative computing that enhances the workgroup rather than on personal productivity. Plus, they all -- including SGI -- do the following: Stress their adherence to and support of multimedia standards. Emphasize the ease of use of their solutions. Attempt to balance integration of features with choice of products by bundling some multimedia capabilities while actively promoting third parties to develop solutions. Provide tools for third parties to develop additional hardware and software products for their platform. The key question, then, is how does the vendor deliver on its strategy? More specifically: Is the solution available now? How does the vendor implement the strategy (i.e., does the vendor offer the solution itself or does it rely on third parties)? Hewlett-Packard This section describes HP's strategy and capabilities. Note that HP's strategy is discussed in detail in Section 2, "HP Collaborative Multimedia Program." Strategy HP's collaborative multimedia strategy is to provide a complete, integrated, pre-installed, and inexpensive multimedia solution that results in natural and effective communication and collaboration among team members. The key components of this strategy are HP's high- performance multimedia workstations, HP MPower, a commitment to standards, and HP Multimedia Channel Partners. Implementation HP is implementing its strategy by providing the core multimedia functionality. That is, HP provides the features essential to collaborative computing. These features are either integrated into HP's hardware, part of MPower or HP-UX, or offered as optional but easily integrated add-ons by HP. HP is also working with Channel Partners to provide solutions for users who desire other functionality, for example, for multimedia authoring. Capabilities This section discusses the multimedia offerings available on HP's Series 700 Workstations. These workstations have built-in audio (Stereo CD-quality on the 715, 725, 735, and 755), speakers, and headphone jacks. They come with HP VUE and HP-UX. MPower is an optional add-on product. GUI HP provides HP VUE 3.0 plus MPower. HP VUE is HP's award-winning graphical user interface based on Motif 1.1 and X11R5 X Window System. HP VUE provides users with a mouse-driven, icon-based, drag-and-drop environment. MPower updates the HP VUE front panel to include the multimedia capabilities. MPower also enhances the HP VUE mailer to recognize multimedia objects (see below). HP VUE provides workspace and file management. MPower provides multimedia composition, real-time shared applications across networks, Shared Whiteboard, and a stereo headset. In addition, MPower allows users to fax, mail, share, and print multimedia documents from the HP VUE interface. Audio Audio hardware is standard on the Series 700 workstations, audio software (tools and library) is included with the operating system, and integration of audio with HP VUE is a standard component of MPower. The Series 700 workstations models 715, 725, 735, and 755 include CD-quality audio. Models 705 and 710 support voice-quality audio. HP provides both an audio library and audio developers tools. The Audio Applications Programming Interface includes a library of functions that can be called by application programs written in ANSI C. Applications can: Play, record, copy, and edit audio data files. Convert audio files to different formats including Mulaw, Alaw, RIFF, Sun, NeXT, linear8offset (Mac), linear8, and linear16. Play or record directly to or from an audio device (e.g., cassette player) using the continuous streams facility, thus removing overhead associated with using data files. Integrate audio using audio widgets and a toolkit of functions that initialize, register, and unregister these widgets. Applications must be based on Motif or a similar graphical user interface to use this capability. Obtain audio input from a microphone, the network, or an external device. Output audio to a file, the internal speaker, or a self- powered external speaker. An audio editor based on Motif is included with HP-UX. This editor is integrated into MPower and allows users to annotate files, play back audio files, and create audio objects. These objects can be included in multimedia mail (see below). Image HP provides an image library and an image toolkit. MPower integrates image handling capabilities into HP VUE. It allows users to view images and drag and drop them into multimedia mail. In addition, it allows users to: Read and write images in TIFF, X Window, and application buffers. Compress and decompress images. Manipulate images (crop, scale, rotate, mirror, and tonal remap). Scale bitonal images to gray scale. Convert image type and format. The Developer's Toolkit contains: Header files for the Image Library functions. Source files for sample application programs including the Imageview source code and a utility that demonstrates Image Library functions. Make files that convert sample source files into executables. Sample TIFF files. Descriptions of Image Library function calls. Extended version of the Image Library that supports Imageview plus CCITT G4, JPEG, and other functions. Image operations are done via software eliminating the cost of add- on hardware. Video Video capabilities are optional on HP systems. HP resells the RasterOps VideoLive EISA video board and software. If the video board is installed, MPower automatically integrates video capabilities into HP VUE, providing the ability to view live motion video, capture video frames, and drag and drop video frames. The board supports the following inputs: NTSC (National Television Standard Committee, 29.92 frames per second, used in US and Japan). PAL (25 frames per second, used in Europe and some parts of Asia and Africa). SECAM (25 frames per second, used in France and other parts of Asia and Africa). RGB (red-green-blue). S-Video (high-quality). A key advantage of HP's video implementation is that the video is independent from graphics which results in lower cost and higher performance. A limitation of this implementation is that graphic overlays cannot be put over video. The RasterOps VideoLive software which supports video-in-a-window technology is integrated into MPower. To take advantage of this option, users must have the HP RasterOps VideoLive EISA board. Users can view live full-motion video in color or grayscale. The RasterOps VideoLive board can show video from TV tuners, VCRs, camcorders, RGB cameras, and medical scanners. The software includes a frame grabber that allows users to captures frames in full 24-bit color for playback or to save as TIFF files. Captured frames are available for input into other technologies including Shared Whiteboard, multimedia email, and fax. By default, files are saved as compressed JPEG files which saves up to ten times the disk space. Fax HP provides fax capabilities with the HP 9000 Series 700 Fax which allows users to send and receive a fax from any workstation or X station connected to a Series 700 server. The HP 9000 Series 700 Fax is computer-based client-server fax product that allows workstations to interface to fax networks. Key features include: Automatic routing of incoming faxes via bar coding and Call Station Identification (CSI). Email interface for access to PCs and terminals. Printer interface for immediate ability to print faxes to PCL or PostScript printers. OSF/Motif client graphical interface to run on any display running X11. User-selectable fax cover page. Display-based markup eliminates need to print out a fax. Ability to grab any image on the display and fax it. Support for multiple fax modems. MPower integrates these fax capabilities into HP VUE to provide drag-and-drop functionality. Scan HP offers the HP ScanJet IIc Scanner for HP Apollo Series 700 Workstations that includes scanning hardware and software. Scanning capabilities are optional. If a scanner is installed, MPower integrates scanning capabilities into HP VUE allowing users to scan, view, manipulate, and store color and monochrome images. The HP ScanJet IIc scanner is a desktop solution that provides true 400 dpi monochrome or color scanning. The powerful HP DeskScan/UX software is specifically designed to work in the X Window environment, taking advantage of the inherent performance capabilities of the HP PA-RISC family of UNIX workstations. Key features include: Monochrome and color scanning with 24-bit recognition of over 16 million colors and 16-bit, 256 grayscale levels. Support for documents from 5 x 7 inches to 8.5 x 14 inches. Support by leading word processing, desktop publishing, presentation, and spreadsheet software applications. Support for monochrome and color printers. Layered user interface providing basic functions on the top screen with a complete set of advanced features easily accessed from pull-down menus or floating tools. Live preview to see results of changes immediately on the screen. Automatic Exposure that selects optimum brightness and contrast settings. Custom scaling in one-percent increments (3 to 200%). Support for automatic document feeder for multiple page input. Print SharedPrint/UX Printing Software for HP Apollo Series 700 Workstations provides easy-to-use, drag-and-drop printing service that prints color, text, graphics, and images to local or remote printers on the network. It supports laser printers, ink-jet printers, and large format plotters. It provides a path from most standard file formats to a large array of HP and third-party printers and plotters and improves printing performance for remote printers. Users can make print requests; control print job parameters and options; and check queue status, printer set up, and configuration. It provides the ability to print: PostScript to PostScript devices. PCL to PostScript devices. ASCII to PostScript, PCL, and large format devices. CGM to PCL devices (plotters). Starbase bitmap files to PostScript, PCL, and large format devices. Bitmap to PostScript, PCL, and large format devices. Integration of SharedPrint/UX is provided as a standard component of MPower. SharedX SharedX is an application that provides the ability to share X protocol-based applications in real-time in order to enable workgroup collaboration. SharedX works by simultaneously replicating the user interface to any other workstation. Integration of SharedX into HP VUE is provided as a standard component of MPower. With SharedX users can actually share the application window, so everyone can see and directly manipulate the original information. In addition, SharedX shares with any X workstation or X Station; receivers do not need to be running HP equipment. Finally, only the sender needs to be running SharedX and the X-based application. Receivers do not need SharedX or the X-based application. Shared Whiteboard Capability Shared Whiteboard allows users to take a snapshot of an image, video frame, fax, or data in any running application. Captured images can be annotated in real time and either shared with others or output to a device such as a fax. Integration of Shared Whiteboard is a standard component of MPower. Video Conference Available from third parties. Multimedia Email MPower integrates multimedia capabilities with email. This capability is a standard part of MPower. Either multimedia files can be mailed by dragging and dropping them to the Mail icon, or multimedia files can be dragged and dropped into the mail editor window. In either case, the objects are shown as icons within the body of the email message. Because the icons are shown in the body of the message, the user can see them in context of the message. MPower uses standard UNIX mail. As a result, users can still communicate with others working on machines that are not multimedia capable. HP adheres to the Multipurpose InterNET Mail Extension (MIME) standard for multimedia email. This allows MPower mail to exchange multimedia objects with other MIME mail products. Headphones The Plantronics Supra Stereo Headset with a built-in microphone is included free of charge with the MPower client. Integration All multimedia types -- audio, image, and video -- are integrated into the front panel with drag-and-drop capabilities. All data types can be shared via mail. Image and running applications can be shared with SharedX. Images can also be faxed, scanned, and printed. The capabilities are available pre-installed and configured. Orderability All of the above components are provided by HP. All can be ordered from HP. MPower provides integration of multimedia mail, HP SharedX, Shared Whiteboard, audio, image, video, fax, scan, and HP SharedPrint/UX into the HP VUE interface. Availability Now. Sun Microsystems This section discusses Sun's strategy, implementation, and capabilities. Strategy Sun's multimedia strategy is to deliver multimedia-ready workstations, provide an open development environment, and form key strategic relationships (through forums such as standards committees). Their direction centers around the concept of collaborative multimedia. Sun's marketing literature states that multimedia can now go beyond improving personal productivity and address the much larger productivity gains of workgroup collaboration. They can do this through distributed multimedia applications on Sun's client-server platform. Implementation All vendors are bundling some capabilities while also encouraging third-party development. Sun is relying on third parties to a greater degree than HP and SGI but to a lesser extent than DEC and IBM. To a large degree, Sun's strategy is already implemented. Their workstations support multimedia and collaborative computing, they have an extensive third-party solution portfolio, and they are involved with and support many standards (as does HP). Notably, Sun has a large enough installed base to make porting software to or developing software for their platform a viable business option for third-party vendors. Plus, Sun provides extensive development tools to third parties, who write to the Open Look specification. The result is a large number of third party applications that have the same look and feel and can be integrated with the desktop. For example, Sun's Multimedia Portfolio lists third-party multimedia solutions in areas such as multimedia documents and mail, image manipulation and animation, video hardware and software. They also have a Graphics, Imaging, Visualization, and Animation Portfolio. Capabilities This section, which describes Sun's multimedia offerings, focuses on Sun's newest high-end platforms: the SPARCstation 10 and the SPARCstation LX. Key multimedia features that are standard in the SPARCstation 10 and the SPARCstation LX are CD-quality audio, a speaker, a microphone, an ISDN interface, and Solaris with OpenWindows. Sun also offers SunTutor, a multimedia training product, that guides a user through the OpenWindows environment and DeskSet productivity tools (see below). Built-in dual Basic Rate ISDN is integrated into the motherboard of the SPARCstation 10 and the SPARCstation LX. SunConnect is also offering SunLink ISDN for SPARCstations. SunLink ISDN provides add-on capability to systems without built-in capability. Notably, Sun's new lower-end system, the SPARCclassic, does not have built-in ISDN capabilities. GUI Solaris, Sun's OS, is bundled with all Sun hardware. OpenWindows, which includes DeskSet, is bundled with Solaris. DeskSet offers multimedia and collaborative capabilities including multimedia mail, an audio tool, and a workgroup calendar manager. OpenWindows V3 offers three interface toolkits all supported by the OpenWindows Developer's Guide (Devguide) which is a graphical user interface builder for Open Look. Applications built with the OpenWindows toolkits interoperate in a seamless way, via cut-and-paste and drag-and- drop. X.Desktop 3.5 from IXI Corporation is a third-party alternative to OpenWindows that provides on OSF/Motif interface on the Sun platform. Unipress Software provides products that allows developers to build and run Motif applications for the Sun platform. Audio Telephone-quality audio has been bundled with SPARCstations since their release in 1989. The SPARCstation 10 and SPARCstation LX have CD- quality audio bundled on the motherboard. The audio tool which is part of DeskSet allows users to rewind, play, and record audio for use in multimedia mail and other applications. Image DeskSet allows images to be included in multimedia mail. Sun also offers XIL, an API that provides hardware and software developers with an interface for developing imaging and full-motion video products. In addition, the optional VideoPix SBus card from Sun Microsystems Computer Corporation, allows users to capture, manipulate, compress, store, and share 8-bit or 24-bit color or grayscale images across the network. Images can be input from still video camera, camcorders, VCRs, laser disks, and television tuners. They can be integrated into many applications including desktop publishing and multimedia email. The card occupies a single slot in a SPARCstation system and can be shared across a network by up to four users simultaneously or used locally. VideoPix uses JPEG compression and decompression to achieve 20:1 compression ratio. It supports both NTSC and PAL signals in composite and S-Video formats.According to Sun, VideoPix displays live video in order to grab the frame. It is not positioned as a video board. The video is displayed at 5 frames per second. Video DeskSet allows video frames to be included in multimedia mail. Sun also offers XIL, an API that provides hardware and software developers with an interface for developing imaging and full-motion video products. Other video capabilities are provided by third parties. Fax Fax capability is provided by third parties. Fax functionality is integrated into the desktop with drag-and-drop capabilities by some of these vendors. Scan Scanning capabilities are provided by third parties. Scanning is integrated into the desktop by some vendors. Print Drag-and-drop integration is provided via DeskSet's print tool which allows users to check print queues, change queues, and cancel print jobs already in the queue. NewSprint from SunPics (a Sun subsidiary) directs both PostScript and non-PostScript input from LAN-based Sun workstations, Macintoshes, PCs, and some minicomputers to a wide variety of printers, plotters and typesetters. NetPrint Sun from Sitka (a Sun subsidiary) allows users to print from Sun workstations to any Mac or PC PostScript printer on the network. SharedX Not available. Shared Whiteboard Capability ShowMe from SunSolutions (a Sun subsidiary) allows up to 12 users to capture images or data and display them in an "Active Window," which is similar to a clipboard. Groups can look at and annotate both images and text in the window and conference results can be saved and printed. ShowMe offers multiple ways of moving information from the application to the "Active Window" to be shared. Because it uses the "Active Window" for sharing, the actual application file is not being shared. As a result, the application is not required on each user's system. ShowMe runs only on Sun systems. Every user must have a ShowMe license on the workstation. Shared whiteboard capability is also available from third parties. Video Conference Available from third parties. Multimedia Email Multimedia email is bundled with DeskSet. Multimedia attachments are included at the end of the email message. Sun's marketing literature on multimedia email does not indicate that they support the MIME standard. Headphones Available from third parties. Jacks are standard. Integration Sun systems come standard with a significant amount of multimedia capability. Audio is integrated on the motherboard. DeskSet 3.0 integrates multimedia mail, an audio tool, and a workgroup calendar manager. Printing is also integrated with the desktop. However, Sun's approach is to encourage third parties to create add-ons. Orderability Must order Sun products separately. Other products are ordered from third parties. Availability Now. Summary Users can get all the functionality on Sun that they can on HP except for SharedX and while they have a larger choice of third-party options, the solution is less integrated. Sun's strength include: Large number of third party products. Good development tools. Specification that provides for consistent look and feel. Multimedia mail bundled with OS. Built-in audio on all systems and built-in ISDN capabilities on high end systems. Note: ISDN, which is a wide area network that allows multimedia to be sent over digital telephone lines, is already widely used in Europe and Japan. It provides realtime multimedia communication at a reasonable cost and also reduces network wiring, installation, and maintenance costs. (Dataquest, 1992) Currently, Sun's ISDN capabilities are not a competitive advantage in the U.S. because ISDN is not widely used here. Their ISDN also has not been qualified in every country. (HP offers HP ISDN/700 EISA card which provides data routing but is not appropriate for multimedia.) Sun's weaknesses include: Multimedia capabilities are not integrated. Components must be purchased from separate vendors. Sun systems are harder to upgrade because multi-vendor solution. Digital Equipment Corporation DEC has multimedia products for the PC, VAX, and RISC workstation platform. No announcements have been made as to DEC's intentions for the Alpha platform. Reliable sources have indicated that DEC's multimedia group has been disbanded. Therefore, the information in this section on DEC's strategy is probably no longer relevant. However, the information on current capabilities is still valid. This section focuses on multimedia offering for DEC's RISC workstations. Strategy In October 1991, Digital announced a distributed multimedia program for the DECstation ULTRIX RISC workstation that included support for audio, video, and the XMedia Toolkit. (These products are described below.) The announcement outlines DEC's strategy which is to focus on distributed corporate applications and to base their program on a client-server model using the X Window protocol to distribute the multimedia objects to any X workstation on the network. (Patricia Seybold's Network Monitor, November, 1991) According to the Multimedia Computing and Presentations, Digital plans to integrate new data types into a distributed systems strategy and to extend its client-server computing model to multimedia...the company also will avoid the monolithic 'We do it all for you' desktop applications by keeping things modular. Digital's goal is to model future products after the simplicity of the telephone -- not needing manuals, training courses, gurus, or on-line help to operate. [DEC] favors merging fax, scanner, text and audiovisual email, audio and video teleconferencing, and screen sharing into DEC workstations. The company's goals include a common user interface style, adequate security, privacy, and transparent communications among networking, platforms, and applications. (Multimedia Computing and Presentations, February 10, 1992) DEC has plans to strengthen its multimedia offerings. Richard Treadway, a product manager at Digital's Western Software Laboratories states: "Our overall goal at DEC is to add these capabilities [text, message, image, audio, multipart, and video, as defined by the Multipurpose InterNET Mail Extension (MIME)] to the network -- distributed applications for distributed groups of people. For the users, you need to develop common user interfaces so they don't have to relearn everything. Their multimedia applications need to look like they're not distributed." (DEC Professional, July, 1992) DEC offers a video conferencing product. DEC's catalog positions its products and capabilities against the PC, arguing that workstations are better platforms for multimedia. It does not make direct comparisons to other workstations. DEC's marketing literature also stresses that it is taking a modular approach so customers can upgrade to multimedia at their own pace. Implementation DEC appears to be relying on third parties to offer multimedia solutions more than any of the other vendors surveyed. DEC's implementation strategy is to provide tools and have third parties implement multimedia offerings. DEC targeted developers with their first round of products intending to have these developers build products that a second wave of developers would use to build end-user applications. (Digital Review, November 4, 1991) To further support this tactic, DEC has implemented a developer program and held a conference in April, 1992. Capabilities This section describes multimedia products for the DECstation 5000 running ULTRIX. DEC refers to its multimedia program as DECmedia. This program includes a frame buffer, video card, and audio card on the hardware side and XMedia Runtime and Development Tool software. The Runtime software is required for and bundled, free of charge, with all DECmedia hardware DEC allows customers to either upgrade an existing DECstation 5000 or purchase a fully configured multimedia workstation (i.e. a system that comes with all of the DECmedia hardware and XMedia Runtime software installed). GUI DEC provides the DECWindows/Motif windowing system. This system includes an icon-based window manager and file manager. It does not provide an icon-based desktop with point-and-click or drag-and-drop integration. Third-party GUIs are also available. Audio DECaudio is bundled on the motherboard of every DECstation 5000 Model 20 and 25 system. It consists of a TURBOchannel board (with the telephone line and set interface) and an external distribution box. The external box includes: Speaker, amplification, and stereo volume and balance control. Microphone, headphone, and handset jacks; microphone pre- amplification offers gain flexibility with a wide range of microphones. Telephone-grade (8-bit, 8 KHz sampling) line in and out. CD-quality (stereo 16-bit, 44.1 KHz sampling) audio out. ISDN S interface. XMedia Tools includes a Runtime Kit and a Developer Kit. The Runtime Kit includes drivers, servers, and an audio clip library. The Developer Kit includes all the functionality of the Runtime Kit plus online documentation, audio libraries, and a more extensive audio clip library. Image DEC provides DECimage Application Services for ULTRIX, a programmer interface for basic image data type handling that consists of library- resident routines for scanning, viewing, printing, and manipulating image data. Video To display video, DEC requires the TX Frame Buffer and DECvideo/PIP (Picture-in-a-Picture), a RasterOPs video card. The TX Frame Buffer supports 24-plane true color. DECvideo/PIP is a daughter card to the TX Frame Buffer. It provides live NTSC, PAL, or SECAM full-motion "video- in-a-window" in an X Window systems environment at a rate of 30 frames per second. The video window can be scaled and reduced to icon size and individual frames can be saved for later use in documents or presentations. The XMedia Runtime and Developer Kits, which are described above under Audio, also include tools and libraries for video. In particular, the Developer Kit contains video libraries, a more extensive video clip library, and Software Motion Pictures (SMP). SMP is DEC's proprietarycompression system. It compresses video data for storage, achieving a 200:1 ratio. Decompression can be accomplished in real time with playback rate of 15 frames per second. SMP also allows for synchronous queuing and playback audio. The XMedia Runtime Kit includes drivers, servers, and sample applications of software motion pictures that are for video. Fax Provided by third-parties. Scan DECimage Scan Software for ULTRIX is an end-user application that captures black and white images and adjusts bitonal, gray scale, and RGB color images read from image files. It: Displays the image to fit into preview window or magnifies the display to each pixel. Provides edit functions including crop, wash, reverse, rotate. Optionally retains settings that customize operation. Supports DEC's image scanners MD30C, MD400, MD410. Creates DDIF image files. Print DEC does not have a print facility on the DECstation. Each application is responsible for printing. SharedX Not available. Shared Whiteboard Not available. Video Conference DECspin (sound, picture, information network) is an application based on Motif that provides for face-to-face video conferencing on a DECstation. Video footage shot with a video camera in one location can be received and viewed by any capable workstation on the network. Up to six workstations can communicate over a standard network. The audio/video data can be stored for viewing and/or transmission at a later date. Key features include: Full-motion, true-color (24 bit) and grayscale (8 bit monochrome) video. Selectable software compression/decompression of video data. Telephone-grade live audio sequences. Transparent network transmission of live synchronized audio/video over InterNET and DECnet. Ability to create and view audio/video message. Pull-down menu and icon interface. Support for private network channel. One-to-many or an open n-way format. Ability to notify absent parties that a conference was attempted. Every party must have DECspin on their workstation. DECspin works only on DECstation 5000 workstations. Multimedia Email DEC does not really support multimedia email. By using MAILbus 400 for ULTRIX, multimedia messages can be transferred via email. However, the recipient would need to extract the attached message and then play the audio and video using a separate application. MAILbus does support Compound Document Architecture (CDA) messages. CDA is a "standard" developed and being promoted by DEC that defines how documents are formatted so they can be exchanged across a network. CDA allows documents to have text with attributes, image graphics (pictures), and geometric graphics (CAD drawings, business charts). It also allows for other formatting features such as multiple or single columns, page numbering, etc. Basically, CDA allows files to be shared without losing their formatting. A third party multimedia email option (Z-Mail from Z-Code) is available. Headphones Jacks are available as part of DECaudio. No headphones are supplied. Integration Customers can buy pre-configured multimedia workstations or add on to existing systems. DEC stresses that it provides the ability to add multimedia capabilities at the customer's own pace. However, not all features are integrated into the multimedia workstations, specifically fax and scanning capabilities must be added on. Multimedia features are not integrated into DEC's desktop. Orderability These products, including third party, can be ordered directly from DEC via the DEC Direct catalog. Availability Now. Summary As noted before, reliable sources indicate that DEC's multimedia team has been disbanded. Its well-intentioned multimedia strategy, then, is unlikely to be implemented. Some of DEC's strengths include: Strong networking and interoperability. Video conference capability (DECspin). Good third party tools especially DECimage Application Services. Good scanning solution (DECimage Scan Software). DEC's weaknesses include: No graphical desktop. Solution not integrated. Orientation toward developers, not toward end users. Fewer third party products available on the platform. Silicon Graphics This section describes SGI's strategy, implementation, and capabilities. Strategy Silicon Graphics focuses less on distributed multimedia for workgroup collaboration and more on providing capabilities for multimedia authoring (i.e. for creating multimedia applications rather than for using them). "Silicon Graphics Inc. shares the group productivity outlook put forth by other companies. However, given the lack of a strong network component in its existing user base, the company shows more inclination to focus on personal productivity through superior graphics hardware and software than on the subject of how to achieve group productivity through networking." (Multimedia Computing and Presentations, February 10, 1992) In April, 1992, SGI announced that it would incorporate digital media as a core technology in future products. SGI indicated that it would offer high-quality audio, video capabilities and digital libraries, and software to manipulate these data media on their workstations. SGI states that unlike standard workstations, digital- media capable workstations should be completely integrated, that is, the ability to manipulate multimedia data should be built into the machine. Another SGI goal is to bring high-end technology to the entry level while continuing to expand the capabilities of its most advanced systems. (Computing Canada, June 8, 1992) Implementation On the whole, SGI is not relying on third parties to supply multimedia capabilities. Instead it is providing high-end multimedia capabilities itself as described below. SGI does rely on third parties for collaborative capabilities such as fax, scan, and email. SGI has extensive developer's tools available and has been recruiting mainstream vendors. Capabilities This section focuses on two models offered by SGI -- the IRIS Indigo Workstation and the Indigo2 Workstation. SGI's IRIS Indigo is their best selling machine. It comes standard with built-in audio on the motherboard, built-in speaker, and slots for additional devices such as DAT. It also has both stereo in-line and out- line jacks. Live video is optional. The Indigo2 Workstation comes standard with a microphone, speaker, audio, stereo line-in and line-out jacks, and slots for additional devices such as DAT. Note: SGI's systems are all optimized for working with graphics and include several custom chips. SGI has also innovated in its Virtual24 graphics which provide full 24-bit color on 8-bit hardware. GUI SGI provides full implementation of X11R4 Window System, Display PostScript, and 4Dwm, a window manager based on Motif. WorkSpace provides an icon-based graphical user interface to the IRIX file system that provides users with point-and-click capabilities to find, copy, and move files using a mouse. WorkSpace includes a graphical icon editor. Audio All Indigo workstations come with a professional-quality audio system that supports 24-bit digital stereo and 16-bit analog stereo sound. They also have line-level and mic-level analog inputs, line-level analog outputs, and stereo serial digital input/output jacks. All systems offer simultaneous input and output rates. Output rates may be synchronized to the digital input rate. Low latency operation is available for highly interactive applications. IRIS Indigo has a dedicated digital signal processor on the motherboard for audio. The Indigo2 supplies audio on a daughter board. It has a high-density ASIC on the audio module. Some additional features of the Indigo2 include stereo microphone input, time-stamped samples, non-audio bit tagging on audio samples, and four channel mode supports of four analog channel input and output simultaneously at full speed. Indigo Magic, which apparently combines IRIS Showcase and IRIS Media Mosaic, provides end user audio tools. Indigo Magic is bundled on all SGI systems. IRIS Media Mosaic is a set of powerful easy-to-use tools that provide basic production capabilities for a range of media. Users can grab video frames, create and edit movies, and create audio annotation. The Video Control Panel, Video Pro Panel, Movie Maker, Movie Player, Audio Control Panel, SoundEditor, SoundFiler, CD Manager, and DAT Manager are included. IRIS Showcase is a text, drawing and presentation tool that integrates 3D models, 2D images, raster images, digital audio, live video input, and text in an onscreen document. A Showcase document can be viewed as an onscreen slide show or interactive presentation, printed as a paper document or overhead, encoded as ASCII and sent as an email message, or captured on video tape for video presentation. In addition, the optional Digital Media Clip Library provides 20 MB of ready-to-use images, sounds, movies, and 3D objects for use by end- users or developers. The Digital Media Developer's Kit provides an audio library for developers. Image IRIS Showcase, which is part of Indigo Magic and is bundled on every SGI system, provides end user tools to integrate images into presentations. The Digital Media Clip Library also provides images. (See under "Audio" above for a complete description.) In addition, the optional product, ImageTools, allows end-users to capture, create, and manipulate standard-format images supporting features such as scan, blur, rotate, scale, stretch, and sharpen. IRIS Explorer, which allows end users to develop applications without programming by providing pre-written modules, also has image processing functions. For developers, SGI offers as an option the Image Processing Library which is an object-oriented extensible toolkit for creating, processing, and displaying images. The toolkit provides a framework for managing and manipulating images to aid in image processing Video All Indigo graphics boards include a bus to accept the IRIS Indigo video board that provides professional-quality video including: Three discrete, software-switchable video inputs. Composite or SVideo signals Both NTSC or PAL input and output (software switchable). Simultaneous real-time input and output. Output resolution 24-bit RGB images frame by frame. No system performance degradation because the board is independent of the CPU. The board allows live video signals to be displayed in a movable, sizable window. Graphics can be placed over the video image or video over a graphics image. The board can also grab still images in 4:1:1 colorspace format. Color, brightness, and tint are controlled via software. Because of the way their video board is implemented, the quality of the video picture is lower quality than that provided by the HP RasterOps VideoLive card. For end users, SGI provides video tools and libraries in the IRIS Showcase, IRIS Media Mosaic, and Digital Media Clip Library which are described under "Audio" above. For developers, SGI provides the Digital Media Developers Kit which includes video and audio libraries, programming interfaces to IndigoVideo and source code for the IRIS ShowCase interactive presentation tool. Fax Available from third parties. Note that there are no fax boards on the market sold with drivers for SGI systems. The rep at SGI said that a fax board must be purchased from a systems integrator, but was unable to identify one. Scan Available from third parties. Note that there are no scanners on the market sold with drivers for SGI systems. A scanner with driver must be purchased by a third-party integrator who has developed the driver. SGI gave a reference to GBA in California (415) 948-4711. Print SGI does not have a print facility equivalent to SharedPrint/UX. SharedX Not available. Shared Whiteboard Not available. Video Conference Not available. Multimedia Email SGI resells Z-Mail from Z-Code software. Z-Mail is a complete multimedia email system available on almost every UNIX platform. Headphones Jacks are available for stereo headphone output. Integration SGI provides a well-integrated multimedia system, but not a collaborative multimedia system. SGI provides hardware that bundles multimedia capabilities except video which is optional. Scan and fax must be purchased from a systems integrator. End-user audio, video, and image capabilities are bundled with each system while developer's tools are provided as optional. Multimedia mail is optional. Orderability All SGI products and Z-Mail can be ordered from SGI. Availability Now. Summary SGI's systems are best suited for multimedia authoring and applications that require high-end graphics or video capability. SGI systems are not necessarily connected to a network which makes them less applicable for collaborative computing. SGI's strengths include: Professional-quality audio and video. End user tools bundled with system. Many professional-quality developer tools available for producing multimedia presentations, and applications. SGI's weaknesses include: Systems not necessarily networked. Fewer third party options. No collaborative tools: SharedX, Shared Whiteboard, or video conference capabilities. Scanning only from third party integrator. Fax also from third party integrator. None identified. International Business Machines This section discusses IBM's strategy, implementation, and capabilities for both its PS/2 and RS/6000 platforms. Strategy IBM created a multimedia division in June, 1990 and began shipping products in March, 1992. (Dataquest, 1992) On November 10, 1992, IBM issued a white paper, entitled IBM's Direction for Multimedia Distributed Systems, on its multimedia direction. The white paper demonstrates that IBM realizes that it has made only a small step into the multimedia arena and that is has a long way to go to realize its vision. The white paper also outlines that (like HP, DEC, and Sun) IBM is focusing on distributed computing and the use of multimedia to enhance corporate communications. Differences include the fact that IBM's PS/2 line plays a large role on the client end and the AS/400 on the server end. RS/6000 systems are seen as appropriate for both client and server machines but are not the focus of the strategy. IBM's vision is to extend multimedia capability across the existing infrastructure of distributed computing. The result for our customers will be the ability to deliver information through natural media to people anywhere in the distributed enterprise around the world. Organizations will be able to maximize the value of information by communicating more effectively and efficiently than before through the use of audio, video, and images. (Multimedia Distributed Computing: IBM's Direction for Multimedia Distributed Systems, November 10, 1992) IBM indicates that it intends to innovate in the following areas: multimedia workstations; operating system services and presentation services; application tools and services; data services; networking application support, transport network, and subnetworking; systems management; server solutions; and standards. Other key elements of IBM's strategy include: Support of an evolutionary strategy to protect current investments by providing new systems as well as enhancements to current systems. Support of multimedia on all platforms from personal workstations to workgroup systems to enterprise distributed systems. Focus on making systems that are affordable and easy to use, understand, and manage. Support of heterogeneous computing, including interoperability, data interchange, and Common User Access across systems by supporting selected and emerging de facto standards. Implementation On the PC side, IBM is balancing providing its own capabilities and depending on third parties. In the PC world, users expect a choice from third parties. However, probably due to the uncertain future of OS/2, IBM is providing many of its own solutions as optional add-ons to their Ultimedia line. To encourage third parties, IBM also provides tools and a multimedia standard, UTS, (see Section 6, "The PC Market" for more information). IBM also stresses its two joint ventures with Apple as key to its multimedia strategy. The first, Taligent, is developing an object- oriented operating system designed to run multimedia. The second, Kaleida Labs, is developing a standard object-oriented scripting language (ScriptX), data standards which enable interoperability between differing systems, and runtime environments to provide script and data portability across systems. Eventually these will allow for multimedia collaboration across heterogeneous computing environments including OS/2, Apple's System/7, UNIX, Windows, and DOS. On the workstation side, IBM currently is relying on third parties to provide multimedia capabilities, although its strategic white paper does mention futures for the RS/6000. For example, IBM indicates that it intends to support multimedia programming interfaces in OS/2 and AIX/6000. It also indicates that it will offer compatible multimedia extensions to the RISC System/6000 by providing application programs to control and synchronize datastreams in a distributed environment. Finally, IBM says it will also allow OS/2 and AIX/6000 systems to interoperate as either multimedia clients or servers. Capability on the PC Platform Currently, IBM offers its Multimedia Presentation Manager (MMPM/2) for OS/2 and the Ultimedia line of products for the PS/2 platform. IBM has introduced five Ultimedia models. Standard multimedia features include a CD-ROM II drive, M-Audio Capture and Playback Adapter/A, and an integrated front panel with an enhanced internal speaker, volume control, and jacks for headphone and microphone inputs. IBM also promotes the Ultimedia Tool Series (see below). Tools fall into five categories: Authoring, Graphics, Animation, Audio, and Video. Products come from IBM and third parties. IBM provides a catalog of products for Ultimedia that includes hardware, software, and apparel (T-shirts, sweaters, etc.) Many third party options are available. See Section 6 for a discussion of the PC market. On the whole, IBM's Ultimedia systems have received favorable reviews in the press, for example PC-Computing, 10/92. GUI The primary operating system for the Ultimedia systems is OS/2 version 2.0 with Multimedia Presentation Manager (MMPM/2). Ultimedia systems are also shipped with DOS version 5.0 and Windows 3.1 already loaded. MMPM/2 enhances the computer's ability to run applications that use sound, video, and images. An optional toolkit provides C language bindings, sample programs, and documentation for every major function in MMPM/2. Audio Ultimedia products come standard with M-Audio Capture and Playback Adapter A which, with MMPM/2, give the ability to capture, digitize, and playback high-quality audio. The Ultimedia Tool Series includes audio tools. Applicable authoring software and tools for audio include: The Audio Visual Connection (AVC) which integrates high- resolution images, high-fidelity sound, animation, special effects, and full-motion video into presentations and data processing applications. LinkWay and LinkWay Live which combine text, graphics, pictures, audio, and full-motion video to create lessons and presentations. A Multimedia Audio Starter Kit is listed in the IBM catalog. This kit allows users to easily make and edit audio recordings. Image Image capabilities are provided by MMPM/2, AVC (see "Audio" above), and LinkWay (see "Audio" above). The IBM catalog also lists several clip-art products that contain images. Video One higher-end Ultimedia model comes with IBM's ActionMedia II adapter bundled. This adapter can be purchased separately for the other models. It provides display and capture of high-quality motion video, audio, and true color still images from a variety of input devices. This adapter is the result of IBM's and Intel's Digital Video Interactive joint venture. The M-Motion Video Adapter/A is also available from IBM. This adapter is a PS/2 Micro Channel card that receives and processes analog signals from multiple external video and audio sources and sends them to a monitor and external speaker for immediate viewing. The Ultimedia Tools Series includes tools for video. In addition to video capabilities provided in MMPM/2, AVC (see "Audio" above), and LinkWay (see "Audio" above), IBM offers PhotoMotion, which provides software-only video compression and synchronized audio capabilities to create multimedia CD-ROM titles. Fax As with all PCs, fax-modem cards can be purchased from many vendors and added to a system. Fax software is generally provided by an application program (such as Lotus Notes) or the fax vendor. Scan As with all PCs, scanners can be purchased from many vendors and added to a system. Software comes with the scanner. Print PCs do not have printing capabilities equivalent to SharedPrint/UX. SharedX Not available. Shared Whiteboard IBM offers Person to Person/2 which enables users to share and annotate captured copies of documents, speadsheets, images, and graphics. Up to five users can participate in a conference. Features include a Chalkboard where participants can draw, enter text, and annotate captured images using simple tools. Data can also be shared using the Shared Clipboard that lets participants paste and copy data. The Talk features allows users to share text messages. Since users share the clipboard to which the document, spreadsheet, etc. is copied and not the application itself, users do not all need to have the application running on their system. This also means that receivers cannot automatically update the application. Currently IBM supports only systems running OS/2. Future versions will work with computers that run AIX, Microsoft Windows, and Apple System 7. IBM is also developing an API to facilitate development of applications that work with Person to Person/2. (EDGE on or about AT&T, 11/13/92) Both the receiver and sender must have a copy of Person to Person/2. Video Conference Person to Person/2 has optional video equipment that allows users to see other participants in a video window. The video displays a maximum of 15 frames per second. Multimedia Email Available through third parties. Headphones Available from third party. Jacks are standard on all systems. Integration As noted above, Ultimedia systems come with many standard features, but IBM's approach is generally a modular one that allows users to select the capabilities they need. In the PC world, users can either buy and integrate their own systems or find a VAR or reseller to provide the integration for them. However, IBM itself does provide comprehensive offerings so customers can purchase the entire solution from a single source. Orderability All IBM products can be purchased from IBM. All UTS (see Section 6) products can be purchased from MediaSourcery. Most products can also be purchased through standard PC channels. Availability Now. Capability on IBM Workstations This section describes IBM's multimedia offerings for the RS/6000 platform. Very few products are currently available for this platform. IBM does incorporate the RS/6000 in the strategy defined in its white paper on multimedia (see above), however the RS/6000 is not a major element. GUI AIXwindows Environment/6000 combines AIXwindows, Enhanced AIXwindows, and Display PostScript in one package. It provides an OSF/Motif user interface that also supports the Multibyte Character Set (MBCS). Audio IBM sells the optional RISC System/6000 M-Audio Capture and Playback adapter which provides the capability to record and playback high-quality sound. Input devices include microphone, CD, and cassette players. Output devices include headphones, speakers, and amplifiers. Audio tools are provided by third parties. Image Provided by third parties. Video IBM sells the optional M-Video Capture Adapter which provides the capability to capture, display, and digitize high-quality video images for use in presentations and applications. The adapter provides full frame capture from motion video at 30 frames per second. It allows various image display modes (memory, overlay, transparent, pixel). It a supports input/output jacks for RGB, NTSC, and Y/C (Luminance/Chrominance) devices. Y/C devices such as Super VHS video cameras provide much higher quality image than those from NTSC. Tools are provided by third parties. Fax Provided by third parties. Scan Provided by third parties. Must go to systems integrator to get scanning solution. IBM gave reference to TriMarc of Maryland 301-953- 0255 Print The AIX Xstation Manager/6000 provides a print facility for remote printing. SharedX Not available. Shared Whiteboard Not available. Video Conference Not available. Multimedia Email Provided by third party. Headphones Not available. Integration Not integrated. Orderability Must order third party items separately. Availability Available now. Summary IBM offers a solid solution on the PC platform but not on the workstation platform. Strengths of IBM's offerings are: Multimedia capabilities built into the extended Multimedia Presentation Manager. Video bundled on high-end system. Good tools with Ultimedia Tool Series. Almost all of the solution is available from IBM although not necessarily bundled. Can order from single source (either IBM or MediaSourcery -- see Section 6). Weaknesses of IBM's offering are: On the PC platform -- lower-powered system, not distributed or based on client-server model, also networking not as strong. OS/2 has questionable support in market relative to Microsoft Windows. More Windows-based third-party products than OS/2-based ones. Workstation solution not together. Scan option on RS/6000 only from third party integrator. Overview of Multimedia and Collaborative Capabilities of HP, Sun, DEC, SGI, and IBM HP Sun DEC SGI IBM -- WS IBM -- PC GUI HP Vue + MPower. Open Windows with DeskSet. DECwindows/Motif. Workspace. AIXwindows Environment /6000. Multimedia Presentation Manager. Audio CD-quality integrated on motherboard of 715, 725, 735, and 755. Run time software bundled with OS. MPower integrates editing tools into HP VUE. Integrated on motherboard of all systems. CD-quality on SPARCstation 10 and LX. Microphone and speakers bundled. DECaudio integrated on motherboard of DECstation 5000 Model 20 and 25. Optional on other models. DAT-quality integrated on IRIS Indigo motherboard and Indigo2 daughter board. End user software included with Showcase and Media Mosaic. Mic / speakers bundled. IBM RS/6000 M-Audio Capture and Playback adapter optional. Software from third party. Bundled with system. Software Audio Visual Connection (AVC) optional from IBM. Image Runtime software bundled. MPower provides end-user ability to manipulate images. VideoPix optional. DECimage optional. Some end user software included with Showcase and Media Mosaic. End user ImageTools optional. Third party. AVC from IBM optional. Video RasterOps VideoLive card and software optional. MPower integrates into HP VUE. Third party. TX Frame Buffer + DECvideo/PIP optional. IRIS Indigo video board optional. End user software included with Showcase and Media Mosaic. IBM RS/6000 M-Video Capture adapter optional. Software third party. ActionMedia II adapter bundled on hi- end. ActionMedia II or M-Motion Video Adapter/A optional on rest. Software AVC optional. Fax HP 9000 Fax software included with MPower. Fax modem third party. Third party. Third party. Third party. Third party. Third party. Scan HP ScanJet IIc and DeskScan / UX optional. MPower integrates into HP VUE. Third party. DECimage Scan Software optional. DEC scanners MD30C, MD400, and MD410. Third party. Third party. Third party. Overview of Multimedia and Collaborative Capabilities of HP, Sun, DEC, SGI, and IBM (continued) HP Sun DEC SGI IBM -- WS IBM -- PC Print SharedPrint/ UX included with MPower and integrated into HP VUE. NeWsPrint and NetPrint optional. Not available. Not available. AIX Xstation Manager/6000 provides remote printing. Not available. SharedX Included with MPower and integrated into HP VUE. Not available. Not available. Not available. Not available. Not available. Shared Whiteboard Included with MPower and integrated into HP VUE. ShowMe optional. Not available. Not available. Not available. Person to Person/2 IBM optional. Video Conference Third party. Third party. DECspin optional. Not available. Not available. Person to Person/2 with video optional. MM Mailer Included with MPower and integrated into HP VUE. Bundled with DeskSet as part of OS. Third party. Third party product resold by SGI. Third party. Third party. Headphones Platronics Supra Stereo Headset included with MPower client. Jack available. Jack available with DECaudio. Jack available. Not available. Jack available. Integration Yes. MPower integrates into HP VUE desk top. Not integrated by Sun except audio. Many third party products integrated into desktop. Can purchase a system with all hardware options added at the factory. Not integrated into desktop. All SGI multimedia features integrated except video. No collaborate features integrated. Not integrated. Not integrated. Orderability Can order everything from HP. Must order separate products -- some from Sun and some from third parties. Must order separate products. Many available in DECdirect catalog. Order separately. Must order separate products. Many available in Direct Order catalog. Can order all from MediaSourcery or IBM direct order catalog. Availability Now. Now. Now. Now. Now. Now. Channel Partners This section compares the third party partners of each company. Each table lists the company name, product name, brief product description, and the platforms the product is available on. HP Channel Partners HP's direction is to make certain that all functionality needed by its customers is available. When HP itself does not provide that functionality, it actively encourages and works with its Channel Partners to fill in the gap. HP especially focuses on identifying partners who offer the highest quality, best-of-breed solutions. Third Party Tables The tables were compiled by identifying all partners listed in promotional materials (e.g. the HP Solutions Catalog and Sun Catalyst) and then using Computer Select Library (a CD-ROM with all computer- related publications for the last year and a database of vendors and hardware and software product specifications) to look up each product and determine what other platforms it runs on. The lists, then, will not be accurate if the product specification in Computer Select Library is out of date. In addition, some products were not listed in the database. Some products fall into two categories in which case, the product is listed under its primary category. Products are not listed twice. The following tables are presented: Audio I/O and DSP. Authoring, Hypermedia, and CD-ROM Authoring. Compound Document and Productivity. Conferencing, Shared Screen, Collaborative, Multimedia Mail. Database. Digital Camera, Scanner, and OCR. Graphical User Interface. Image Creation, Management, and ClipArt. ISDN, Fax, and Telecommunications. Speech Recognition. Simulation and Animation. Video. Companies are listed in the tables in alphabetical order. Table Codes The code for IBM column is: D=DOS, W=Windows, O=OS/2, R=RS/6000, P=PC platform if no specific PC operating system was indicated in the specification. Asterisk (*) by company name indicates that the company was not listed in the Computer Select database. Audio I/O and Digital Signal Processing (DSP) HP SUN DEC SGI IBM Ariel Corporation DAT-Link -- Input and output of digital audio by controlling DAT and CDs Y P Hewlett-Packard MPower Y Kinetics Systems Corporation* KSC MaxCom -- Complete AT&T DSP multimedia solution including full integration of audio, text, speech, and data communication Y Loughborough Sound Images SDSP/C30D and C30/S -- complete DSP solution Y P Spectrum Signal Processing SBUS SCSI Digital Signal Processor Board Y Sonitech International Various compression, interface, DSP development products Y Vigra* Audio/Signal Processor Y Authoring, Hypermedia, and CD-ROM Authoring HP SUN DEC SGI IBM AimTech Icon Author -- end user multimedia authoring tool Y Y DW American Training Institute (formerly CEIT Systems) Authology -- multimedia authoring tool TourGuide -- multimedia authoring system Y Y Y Y DW DW Capital Disc Interactive* CD-I Tools -- CD-I emulation and disc authoring Y Company of Science and Art (CoSA) PACo -- X-based software-only video and animation playback system Y Y W Electronic Book Technologies (EBT) DynaText -- electronic book publishing system Y Y W Fulcrum Technologies Ful/Text -- toolkit for building text retrieval applications Y Y Y Y W Gain Technologies GainAccess -- integrated electronic publishing GainExposure -- creates demos of X Window software GainMomentum -- tool to link to relational databases using SQL GainSupport -- creates on-line help systems Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y R R R R Image+* IKON -- for digitizing and manipulating images Y Knowledge Systems Knowledge Management System (KMS) -- distributed hypermedia system to manage corporate knowledge Y Y Light Bits-Dallas, Inc.* Light Bits -- creates multimedia presentations Y Y Macromedia Inc. Macromind Action -- creates multimedia presentations Macromind Player -- plays multimedia presentations Y W W Market Focus Technologies Visual Programming Environment (VPE) -- application development tools Y Y Y Y R MetaCard Corp. MetaCard -- develop X Window GUI applications and hypermedia documents Y Y Y Y R Paradise Software HyperCmedia Toolkit -- hypertext media toolkit Mediawrite -- multimedia authoring system Uniflix -- create and play desktop videos Y Y Y Y RAD Technologies VideoCAM -- play video from CD-ROM or hard disk over network CD-ROM Integrated Desktop -- multimedia publishing Hypernews -- develop interactive presentations Y Y Y Y Y Y Turing Institute* HyperLook User Interface -- quick development of multimedia systems Y Young Minds, Inc. CD Studio -- desktop writable CD-ROM Makedisc -- CD- ROM formatting program Y Y Y Y Y Y R Compound Document, Productivity, and Multimedia Mail HP SUN DEC SGI IBM Applix Inc. Aster*x -- integrated office management system including multimedia mail Y Y Y Y R BBN Slate -- multimedia document creation and communications system Y Y Y R Clarity Rapport -- integrated business application and communication system including multimedia mail Y Y Y R Computer Support Corporation Arts and Letters -- multitasking, windowing graphic design tool Maestro -- presentation graphics package Y Y OW DUX Software Ta-Dah! -- generates professional, business, and technical presentations Y Frame Technology FrameMaker WYSIWYG authoring, word processing, illustrating, and production tool Y Y Y Y OWR Informix Wingz -- graphical spreadsheet Y Y Y Y PC Interleaf Interleaf 5 -- relational document manager and document creation Y Y Y Y RP Island Graphics Island Write, Paint, Draw -- word processor, graphics, and raster editor Island Present -- presentations graphics Y Y Y Y Y Y DR Lotus 1-2-3 with Multimedia SmartHelp -- spreadsheet Notes -- groupware port port W OW Perspecta Software Perspecta Presents -- presentation graphics Y Y Y R Quarterdeck Office Systems DESQview/X -- DOS window under UNIX, UNIX window under DOS Y Y P Uniplex Advanced Graphics System -- presentation graphic add-on to Uniplex II Plus Office System -- groupware add-on to Uniplex II Plus Uniplex II Plus -- integrated office system Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y RW RW RW Verity Topic -- document retrieval system Y Y Y DWOR Z-Code Software Corp. Z-Mail -- open email system that supports multimedia mail Y Y Y Y R Conferencing, Shared Screen, and Collaborative HP SUN DEC SGI IBM Databeam Farsite -- interactive markup and exchange of images in real time Y InSoft Communique -- business conference with shared whiteboard and optional video conference Y Y Database HP SUN DEC SGI IBM Carlyle Systems Image/Scan -- scanner and database for images Y Y R Informix Informix On-Line -- database engine Y Y Y Y RDO InnovaTech Corporation* InnovaTech Imaging System -- document image storage and retrieval Y Digital Camera, Scanner, and OCR HP SUN DEC SGI IBM ANA Tech (Division of Intergraph) Eagle Series -- scanner family Y P Aurora Technologies FirstScan -- uses HP Scan Jet series Y Devsoft XpertScan* Y Fujitsu Computer of America M3096G -- document scanner (need Sun compatibility kit) Y OCR Systems ReadRight Software Dev. Kit -- integrate OCR capabilities into applications Y W Pectronics Easy Scan -- desktop scanner with software PhotoCam -- digital camera Y Y Mentalix Pixel!OCR Pixel!Scan Y Y Y Y Y Y R R Vividata Inc. ScanShop -- multiple scanner platform Y W Xerox ScanWorX -- document input combining scanning with intelligent character recognition Y Y Graphical User Interfaces HP SUN DEC SGI IBM IXI Corporation X.desktop -- graphical user environment w/ mouse, icons, pull-down menus Y Y Y RD Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC) SAIC VIEW -- visual user environment that integrates OSF's Motif GUI with Sun environments supporting OpenWindows; provides point-and-click, drag-and-drop, and pull-down menus Y Y R Visix Software Inc. Looking Glass Professional -- icon and mouse-driven GUI for UNIX workstations and X terminals Y Y Y R Image Creation, Management, and ClipArt HP SUN DEC SGI IBM Autograph International Easytech/CODEC -- still-image compression Y BDS Systems Xcaliber -- image processing Y Y R Corel Systems Corel Draw -- 32-bit vector-based graphics Y Y WDRO Datacube, Inc. MaxTower -- image processing system MAXVideo 20 pipeline image processor Y Y Excaliber Technologies PixTex/EFS -- document management and text retrieval port Y W Fusion Graphics* Fusion Art -- clipart Y Image Concepts C-QUEST -- image database port Y Y Imagetects ImageCELS CD-ROM -- clip art for video, animation, modeling, etc. Y DO Macromedia Macromind ClipMedia -- multimedia clip art W Media Logic Artisan -- image processing system Y Y Mentalix Pixel!Edit -- image edit and photo retouch Pixel!View -- format and display image Y Y Y Y Y Y R R Pectronics Corporation Digital Photo -- grayscale image edit and process system Digital Photo Color Edition -- color image edit and process system Y Y T/Maker Click Art Y DW Theta Scan TurboJPEG -- fast JPEG image compression and decompression board Y West Coast Information Systems Electronic Image Y ISDN, Fax, and Telecommunications HP SUN DEC SGI IBM BinTec* ISIBase -- ISDN network communication software ISIBoard/S --intelligent ISDN controller ISI/BTX Videotex -- software implementation of videotex terminal Y Y Y Bristol Group ISO Fax -- network fax delivery and management Y Y R Helios Systems Helios COM+ -- fax modem Y Samsung Software Replix -- fax software Y Y R Synaptel* Synway IP -- TCP/IP router over ISDN and x25 networks. Y TGI Technologies Ltd. Scinet 3000 -- distributed fax message server Y V-Systems FXServer -- fax server Y Y R Unipress Software, Inc VSI*FAX -- external fax modem Y Y Y Speech Recognition HP SUN DEC SGI IBM Command Corporation IN3 Voice Command -- allows users to speak commands instead of typing Y Square* Voice Commander -- speak commands Y Simulation and Animation HP SUN DEC SGI IBM Deneb Robotics Envision -- realtime 3D animation IGRIP -- 3D graphics simulation Y Y Y Y DUX Software Sim City -- multimedia simulated adventure Y W ISEC, Inc. SWAMI -- color graphics with photo-real visualization and animation Y Video HP SUN DEC SGI IBM Apunix Computer Services* Animator -- record image data to video recording devices Computer Controlled VCR -- VCR with software control Film Printer -- create slides, etc. Y Y Y Diaquest Animaq --integrated video system Series II S/SP -- video controller Image Node -- fully integrated video system Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Eneranalytics Media EA Device Control Server -- share and interact with external audio and video media devices Y Y Focus Graphics ImageCorder, ImageServer, ImageMaster -- solutions to create film-based output Y Y Y O Folsom Research* Video/Scan Converter -- video scan converter and frame grabber Y Y Image Manipulation Systems IMS/1000 -- video card Y Lyon Lamb Video Animation Systems Series of products for video conversion, generation, and control Y Y Y Parallax Graphics VideoView -- video in a window Xvideo -- live video in a window Y Y RasterOps Corp. Various videoboards Y Y Y PC RGB Spectrum HRVM -- real time video generation Videolink -- video converter RGB/View - see full-motion on workstation Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y A A Pricing This section provides a price comparison of MPower and each of it competitors. A discussion of pricing in the PC market is included at the end of the section. Notably, MPower wins in pricing across the board. HP provides more capabilities than its competitors, integrates the capabilities, and provides a price advantage. The HP solution costs: 60% of the Sun solution. 52% of the DEC solution. 28% of the IBM RS/6000 solution. less than 50% more than SGI solution which does not offer any collaborative capabilities. Sun MIcrosystems HP Sun MPower for 10 users $1,495 for server + $495 per user = $6445 Not applicable. GUI for 10 users $0 $0 Audio for 10 users $0 $0 Image for 10 users $0 VideoPix $719 per user = $7190 SharedX for 10 users $0 Not available. Shared Whiteboard for 10 users $0 ShowMe for 10 users = $2300 MM Mail for 10 users $0 $0 Print for 10 users $0 NeWSprint $695 per user = $6950 Fax one per system Need hardware only. Choice available.* Multitech $300 Choice available.* Bristol Group ISO FAX hardware and software $995 SUBTOTAL $6745 $17,435 Video one for system $2275 Choice available.* RasterOps SPARC Card TV II $1499 Scan one for system ScanJet software and scanner $3350 Choice available.* Vividata ScanShop software ($695) + HP ScanJet IIP ($1095) = $1790 TOTAL PRICE $12,370 $20,724 * When a choice is available, the least expensive option identified is used. Digital Equipment Corporation HP DEC MPower for 10 users $1,495 for server + $495 per user = $6445 Not applicable. GUI for 10 users $0 $0 Audio for 10 users $0 $0 on Models 20 and 25* $1995 for other models ($0 used in total.) Image for 10 users $0 DECimage application services $1180 per user = $11,800 SharedX for 10 users $0 Not available. Shared Whiteboard for 10 users $0 Not available. MM Mail for 10 users $0 Z-Code Z-Mail for 10 users $2495 Print for 10 users $0 Not available. Fax one per system Need hardware only. Choice available.* Multitech $300 Unipress Software VSI*FAX external with hardware and software = $1600 SUBTOTAL $6745 $15,895 Video one for system $2275 TX Frame Buffer $3995 + DECvideo/PIP $1995 = $5990 Scan one for system ScanJet software and scanner $3350 DECimage Scan Software $530 + DEC image scanner* MD30C $1299 = $1829 TOTAL PRICE $12,370 $23,714 * When a choice is available, the least expensive option identified is used. Silicon Graphics Inc. HP SGI MPower for 10 users $1,495 for server + $495 per user = $6445 Not applicable. GUI for 10 users $0 $0 Audio for 10 users $0 $0 Image for 10 users $0 $0 SharedX for 10 users $0 Not available. Shared Whiteboard for 10 users $0 Not available. MM Mail for 10 users $0 Z-Code Z-Mail for 10 users $2495 Print for 10 users $0 Not available. Fax one per system Need hardware only. Choice available.* Multitech $300 SGI said must purchase from systems integrator. Rep I spoke to could not give me a name. SUBTOTAL $6745 $2495 Video one for system $2275 $2500 Scan one for system ScanJet software and scanner $3350 From Systems Integrator GBA in California (415) 948-4711 a high-end 600 dpi $12,500 and lower end 300 dpi $2150* TOTAL PRICE $12,370 $7145 (but much less functionality) * When a choice is available, the least expensive option identified is used. IBM Workstations HP IBM WS MPower for 10 users $1,495 for server + $495 per user = $6445 Not applicable GUI for 10 users $0 $250 per user + $1000 for nine users = $1250 Audio for 10 users $0 Audio adapter hardware = $495 / user = $4950** Image for 10 users $0 BDS Xcaliber EFSC = Server base price $22,400 + 10-pack of clients ($8,000) = $30,400 SharedX for 10 users $0 Not available. Shared Whiteboard for 10 users $0 Not available. MM Mail for 10 users $0 Z-Code Z-Mail for 10 users $2495 Print for 10 users $0 NA Fax one per system Need hardware only. Choice available.* Multitech $300 Choice available.* Bristol Group ISO FAX hardware and software $995 SUBTOTAL $6745 $40,090 Video one for system $2275 Video adapter hardware = $2250 Scan one for system ScanJet software and scanner $3350 From systems integrator TriMarc of Maryland 301-953-0255 with low-end Ricoh Scanner = $1500* TOTAL PRICE $12,370 $43,840 (with much less functionality) * When a choice is available, the least expensive option identified is used. ** Does not include software. Would provide audio/video capabilities to authoring development products and productivity applications (e.g. Clarity Rapport) that support these data types. No end user software tools seem to be available. PCs and Compatibles Comparing pricing for PCs and workstations is difficult because basic functionality that is included with a workstation, such as networking capabilities, must be added on to a PC. In addition, the PC market offers users a plethora of choices. This section, then, identifies the components that must be included in a collaborative, multimedia PC and provides ranges for the pricing available. Prices in this section come from the Computer Select Library and from looking at the ads in PC Magazine. Since the ads show discounted pricing, those prices are identified. Note that some multimedia PCs are available on the market, fully integrated. These systems generally include audio capabilities, a high- quality monitor, a graphics accelerator board, a CD-ROM, headphones, and speakers. Almost all come with the operating system bundled. Some come with CD-ROM titles that take advantage of multimedia. Others just supply the hardware. None come with networking capabilities. These systems range in price from $2000 to $6000 (PC Magazine, March 16, 1993). GUI The operating system, generally, DOS 5.0 with MS-Windows 3.1 and sometimes OS/2 with Multimedia Presentation Manager, is bundled with most PCs on the market, whether or not they are multimedia-capable. Audio Over 100 hardware audio boards and adapters are listed in Computer Select Library, ranging in price from $149 to $2195. Soundblaster from ATI Tech. is the most popular and is a de facto standard in the PC market. Several versions of Soundblaster are available at discount prices from $95 to $225 (PC Magazine, March 16, 1993). Imaging Note that many PCs are not sold with monitors or graphics accelerators that can handle high-quality images or full-motion video. Therefore, these must be added to the PC before it can be used for multimedia. A good-quality monitor costs $500 to $1500. A graphics accelerator costs $100 to $250 (PC Magazine, March 16, 1993). In addition, approximately 25 software products that provide image handling capabilities are listed in Computer Select Library. These range in price from $70 to $695. Video As noted under Imaging above, a good monitor and graphics accelerator are needed for full-motion video. In addition, about one- half dozen full-motion video products are listed in the Computer Select Library. These range in price from $495 to $22,000. SharedX SharedX capabilities are not available on PCs. Shared Whiteboard Capability IBM's Person-to-Person/2 appears to be the only equivalent product in the PC market. Note that it requires OS/2 instead of Windows. IBM sells this product for $280 / user or $1875 / 10 users. Multimedia Mail Note that networking hardware and software (see below) should be added to a basic PC in order to take advantage of multimedia mail. Several multimedia mail products are available for PCs at various prices: Lotus Notes $296 / user or $62,500 / 200 users MS Mail $695 / server and $395 - $22,500 / multiuser licenses cc:Mail from Lotus $295 / office M-Mail from Interactive Inc. $89 / user Scan Nearly 200 scanners are listed in Computer Select Library as being compatible with PCs. These range in price from $99 to $109,000. Print No products comparable to SharedPrint/UX are available for the PC. Fax More than 250 fax and fax/modem boards are listed in Computer Select Library, ranging from $38 for send-only boards to over $2000 for full-featured boards. In addition, over 100 software products were listed, ranging from LAN-based routing software at $9995 to software that allows a Windows application to send and receive faxes at $79. Networking Again, many different network cards, adapters, and software products are available. As an example for pricing, a Novell Netware 10- user pack costs about $1350 and a board would be approximately $150 / user (PC Magazine, March 16, 1993). CD-ROM The MPC standard (see Section 6, below) calls for a CD-ROM as part of a compliant machine. A CD-ROM for a PC ranges from $200 to $500 (PC Magazine, March 16, 1993). The PC Market Putting together a collaborative, multimedia system on the PC platform is not a straightforward undertaking. Competing multimedia standards have been introduced which adds confusion to the market place. What's more, PCs were not designed to provide the networking and graphics capabilities required for collaboration and multimedia. Therefore, these capabilities must be added, requiring that users select and integrate products from an abundance of third party vendors themselves. This section discusses competing standards and gives a brief description of difficulties in putting together a collaborative, multimedia system on the PC platform. Standards Microsoft and the Multimedia PC Marketing Council, a subsidiary of the Software Publishers Association, released its a standard for a Multimedia Personal Computer (MPC) in 1990. Since the MPC standard supported Windows 3.1 and showed no inclination to add OS/2 to its specification, IBM has introduced its own standard, the Ultimedia Tool Series (UTS). Vendors are introducing products that meet one, both, or neither standard. It appears that much more software is available for Windows than for OS/2. Dataquest projects that, given the large installed base of Windows 3.0 and 3.1 users and the growing number of MPC-compliant machines, the MPC standard will win (Dataquest, 1992). MPC The MPC standard is a specification announced by Microsoft and many PC vendors. Machines stamped with the MPC logo must be compatible with Windows Multimedia Extensions which allows any Windows multimedia application to talk to the soundboard and CD-ROM drive. The specification also defines a minimum hardware configuration, which the trade press seems to feel is inadequate. (PC World, May 1992). MPC products are not tested and developers pay a fee in order to display the logo. The MPC standard includes 16 MHz 386SX CPU, VGA graphics, 30MB hard disk, 8-bit soundboard, and CD-ROM drive with 150 kilobit-per-second transfer rate. The UTS standard specifies high-fidelity, 16-bit audio, CD-ROM XA (an extension that makes it easier for developers to synchronize image and sound), and motion video based on Intel's Digital Video Interactive (DVI) compression technology. A touch screen is also part of the specification. UTS The goal of UTS is to provide innovative software tools to multimedia application developers. Tool Series partners worked to develop the UTS architecture. The architecture defines standard file formats for file exchange; standard techniques for data manipulation and invoking tools; and common look and feel through user access standards. Programs compliant with the architecture should work together and have a compatible and consistent look and feel. (EDGE: Work-Group Computing Report, 11/13/92) UTS does not say how an application accesses sound and video hardware. (This is usually done via Windows' or OS/2's multimedia extension or proprietary drivers under DOS.) UTS does, though, mandate that any compliant application run under OS/2 either as a native application or in a DOS or Windows box. IBM has invested in reseller MediaSourcery Inc. to market, distribute, and support all UTS products. MediaSourcery will test all software for compliance, and applications will bear the UTS logo free of charge. Companies who say they will support UTS include AimTech, Asymmetrix, Autodesk, Gold Disk, Macromedia, and ZSoft. (PC Week, 12/8/92) Messaging Standard Multiple standards are being promoted in the area of collaboration as well. Microsoft has a Messaging Application Programming Interface (MAPI) and Lotus, Borland, and others are promoting the Vendor Independent Messaging API (VIM). Apparently the two standards are not compatible. (PC Magazine. December 8, 1992) Difficulties with PCs for Collaborative Multimedia While it is possible to put together a collaborative multimedia system on the PC platform, doing so is much more difficult than putting together such a system on a workstation platform. The difficulty arises from the basic design of the hardware and operating systems. This section briefly outlines these areas: Networking: Networking / distributed computing environment are essential for collaborative computing and distributed access to multimedia data and applications. PCs were not designed to be networked. Instead, the ability to network has been added to the system design, making it much less transparent to the user and much more difficult to administer. Graphics: Quality graphics is necessary for imaging and full- motion video. Again, PCs were not designed for high-quality graphics. To get the quality needed for imaging and full-motion video, a user must purchase a high-quality monitor and a graphics accelerator card. These components are generally not bundled with standard systems. Speed: Top performance is essential for compute-intensive tasks such as video compression. While PC performance is increasing all the time, it simply does not match that offered by RISC chips used on workstations. Storage: High-capacity disk storage and memory are necessary for handling large image or audio files. These features must be added on to PCs. In fact, many PCs use CD-ROMs for storage. Integration: Integration makes a system easy to use. Since all the various components for collaborative, multimedia computing on the PC platform must be purchased from different vendors, getting them to work together efficiently and easily is a difficult, if not impossible, task. Drag-and-drop capability may be installed only by purchasing a desktop application that sits on top of the operating system and its desktop/window environment. Why HP Wins in Collaborative Computing HP is the only vendor to offer a total solution, one that includes all the tools and components needed for effective and efficient collaborative multimedia. HP offers users natural and effective communication and collaboration with the result that they can get their jobs done better and faster. No other vendor makes it so easy. With MPower, everything works together from day one. And still works together when there's an upgrade. No other vendor provides as many tools for collaboration -- such as SharedX. Plus, no other vendor puts all the multimedia capabilities on the desktop. Better yet, no other vendor offers a single-vendor solution -- with single-vendor support, technology that designed to work together seamlessly, and upgrades that go smoothly. Best of all, no one can beat HP's price which means the HP solution works for every desktop. Ten Reasons Why HP Wins HP wins because its solution is: 1. Complete 2. Integrated 3. Single-vendor 4. Flexible 5. Expandable 6. Easily upgradeable 7. Lower cost 8. Truly collaborative 9. Pre-installed 10. Quality 1. Complete HP offers all the components that a user needs for collaborative multimedia. All the features that most users will ever think of using are right there -- integrated on the desktop in one easy-to-use, easy- to-learn package. And for those users who do have additional requirements, HP has worked with selected third parties to assure that best-of-breed solutions are available. 2. Integrated HP's solution is integrated. All of the components are designed from the ground up to work together seamlessly. So users don't have to worry about incompatibilities. They're also designed to have the same look and feel. So users don't have to learn new interfaces. This means that a user can grab a video frame and then drag and drop it to the email or fax icon to share it with a colleague. Or, a user can scan an image, bring it into SharedWhiteboard for a meeting, and mark it up, in real time, with others. 3. Single Vendor When the entire solution comes from a single vendor everything works more smoothly -- from installation and daily use to technical support and upgrades. HP pre-installs MPower so there's no hassle upfront. On a daily basis, all the components of the system interact perfectly because they're designed that way. Only HP is accountable for problems should a technical support question arise -- so users don't have to turn to multiple vendors to get an answer. And when HP upgrades HP-UX, it will also provide a new version of MPower if necessary. Even use of system resources works better since HP optimizes each component of MPower to take advantage of the PA-RISC architecture. 4. Flexible Every business and every worker has different needs. So HP designed MPower to be a flexible solution. One that provides better user-to- computer communication for the times a user works alone. Better user-to- team communication for the times users share information with each other. And better collaborative communication for the times users work together. MPower also gives each user flexibility in what to share -- text, graphics, images, audio, and full-motion video and flexibility in how to share -- mail, SharedX, Shared Whiteboard, fax, printing, and scanning. 5. Expandable HP's solution is expandable. Adding an application or tool to the HP VUE desktop is simple and quick. By utilizing HP VUE user interface capabilities, both customers and channel partners can add to the MPower solution. The best part is that the new applications will work seamlessly with other MPower components. As a result, the MPower solution can grow to meet each user's expanding needs. 6. Easily Upgradable When HP upgrades HP-UX, then HP will provide a new version of MPower, if necessary. So the upgrade goes smoothly. So everything works together. It's a promise no other vendor can make. Because all of the other solutions rely on third-party components. And when another vendor is involved, there's no guarantee. 7. Lower Cost The HP solution costs: 60% of the Sun solution. 52% of the DEC solution. 28% of the IBM RS/6000 solution. less than 50% more than SGI solution which does not offer any collaborative capabilities. MPower is aggressively priced with a client component at $495 and a server component at $1495. It's a solution that everyone can afford for every desktop, a solution that should make HP the leader in collaborative multimedia computing . 8. Truly Collaborative Truly collaborative means the ability to work with anyone. HP SharedX is the only product that allows users to truly share the data and application. All other products share a snapshot of an image or page of data. In addition, HP's SharedX product works with any X terminal or workstation, not just HP's. And, SharedX does not require that the application or data be on the LAN or the receiver's system, only on the originator's system. Which means a collaborative session could even include DOS users who run an X-based environment. 9. Pre-Installed MPower is available pre-installed through Instant Ignition. So users don't have to worry about installing many different components and trying to get them to work together. As a result, the user can start working productively with the system right away. 10. Quality Quality. Everything works all the time -- reliably. Everything works together because they're designed that way. Everything is easy-to- use and easy-to-find. And, when maybe something does go wrong or customers have a question, they know exactly where to turn. Selling Tips This section contains specific tips to use when selling against the competition. Sun When selling against Sun, stress the following points: Sun does not provide a complete solution. Sun relies heavily on third parties to provide multimedia solutions, which means: Upgrades will be a nightmare when Sun releases a new OS. Users will have to go to each different vendor to upgrade its product. In the meantime, there's no guarantee that the older version of the product will work with the new OS. There's also no guarantee that new versions of various third party products will work with each other. Components are not well-integrated and might need options set and reset in order to work together. It's not clear where to turn for support. Learning and using products will not be easy since each is sure to have some unique quirk in its user interface that is not the same as the Sun specification. Sun's solution is more expensive because components that are bundled on the HP systems must be purchased separately, specifically, imaging, video software (as well as hardware), fax, scan, NeWsPrint, ShowMe, and headphones. SharedX is not provided. The quality of the solution simply cannot be as good because there's no single vendor to make sure that all the pieces work together the way they should all the time. DEC When selling against DEC, stress the following points: DEC is no longer updating its multimedia offerings. It has disbanded its multimedia team. DEC does not provide a complete, integrated solution. Instead it relies on third parties. As a result, currently, few end user tools from DEC or third parties are available. Reliance on third parties means: Upgrades will be a nightmare when DEC releases a new OS. Users will have to go to each different vendor to upgrade its product. In the meantime, there's no guarantee that the older version of the product will work with the new OS. There's also no guarantee that new versions of various third party products will work with each other. Components are not well-integrated and might need options set and reset in order to work together. It's not clear where to turn for support. Learning and using products will not be easy since each is sure to have some unique quirk in its user interface. There is no SharedX or shared whiteboard capability on DEC. DEC provides less collaborative capability. No equivalent to SharedPrint/UX. DEC does not provide a graphical desktop with drag-and-drop operation so the system is not as easy to use or learn, or as flexible. DEC's solution is more expensive because customers have to purchase the following items: audio on some models, imaging, fax, multimedia mail. DEC will have lower quality because there is no single vendor making sure all the components work well together as well as the fact that no new resources are being put into this area. SGI When selling against SGI, stress the following points: Collaborative products such as SharedX, shared whiteboard capability, and video conference are not available. SGI has systems designed for authoring not collaboration, which means its solutions are not necessarily easy to use or learn for someone who does not develop multimedia applications every day. The systems are not oriented toward the business user who sees multimedia as a means to an end and not an end in itself. SGI relies on third parties, which means: Upgrades will be a nightmare when SGI releases a new OS. Users will have to go to each different vendor to upgrade its product. In the meantime, there's no guarantee that the older version of the product will work with the new OS. There's also no guarantee that new versions of various third party products will work with each other. Components are not well-integrated and might need options set and reset in order to work together. It's not clear where to turn for support. Learning and using products will not be easy since each is sure to have some unique quirk in its user interface. Solution not as well integrated into the desktop as HP's. Plus integrating new applications to expand the solution is not as easy. SGI's solution is more expensive because customers have to purchase the following items: fax, scan, headphone, multimedia mail. Fax and scan are from integrators only. No equivalent to SharedPrint/UX. Lower quality for collaboration because the focus is on the high- end and few choices available for collaboration. IBM -- Workstation When selling against IBM workstations, stress the following points: No collaborative products including SharedX, shared whiteboard capability, and video conferencing available. Heavy reliance on third parties, which means: Upgrades will be a nightmare when IBM releases a new OS. Users will have to go to each different vendor to upgrade its product. In the meantime, there's no guarantee that the older version of the product will work with the new OS. There's also no guarantee that new versions of various third party products will work with each other. Components are not well-integrated and might need options set and reset in order to work together. It's not clear where to turn for support. Learning and using products will not be easy since each is sure to have some unique quirk in its user interface. Nothing is integrated with the desktop which makes the solution harder to learn and use. In addition, integrating new solutions is not as easy as on an HP system. More expensive because customers have to purchase the following separately: Audio software, image solution, fax, and multimedia mail. Scan only from integrator. Quality is lower because the solution lacks many components and those that are available are not designed to work together. IBM -- PC When selling against IBM PCs, stress the following points: PCs do not provide a distributed, client-server environment. PC networking capabilities are weaker than those of workstations. Support for OS/2 is questionable relative to Microsoft Windows. Heavy reliance on third parties, which means: Upgrades will be a nightmare when Microsoft releases a new OS. Users will have to go to each different vendor to upgrade its product. In the meantime, there's no guarantee that the older version of the product will work with the new OS. There's also no guarantee that new versions of various third party products will work with each other. Components are not well-integrated and might need options set and reset in order to work together. It's not clear where to turn for support. Learning and using products will not be easy since each is sure to have some unique quirk in its user interface. More expensive because customers have to purchase the following separately: networking capabilities, audio software, image solution, fax, shared whiteboard capability, and headphones. No SharedX capability. No SharedPrint/UX capability. Good person-to-computer capabilities for authoring or kiosks, but less workgroup collaboration. Bibliography This section contains a list of publications and other sources used for this document as well as a list of HP personnel interviewed and other sources used. Publications and Other Sources Barr, Christopher, "Are You Talking to Me? Workgroup Apps to Enhance Collaboration," PC Magazine. December 8, 1992. Buckler, Grant, "New for PC Lotus Notes Document Imaging," Newsbytes. September 15, 1992. Caruso, Denise, "Silicon Graphics Tastes the Future," Digital Media: A Seybold Report. June 22, 1992. Computer Select Computer Library, Ziff Communications Company, December, 1992. Cruickshank, Douglas, Digital Media: Changing the Way We Communicate,"Computing Canada. June 8, 1992. "Distributed Multimedia," DEC Professional. July, 1992. Emigh, Jacqueline, "Sun Workstations, Servers Targeted at PC Users," Newsbytes. November 11, 1992. Gillin, Al, "IBM Grows the 220," MIDRANGE Systems. June 23, 1992. "Global Networking: SunConnect Intros New Global Networking Products," EDGE On and About AT&T. November 2, 1992. Graphics, Imaging, Visualization, and Animation Catalyst Portfolio, Sun Microsystems, June, 1992. Grunin, Lori, "Multimedia IBM Style," PC Magazine. December 8, 1992. Higgins, Steve, "Lotus to Ship Beta of New Notes Add-On," PC Week. August 17, 1992. "Hewlett-Packard, Silicon Graphics Walk Away with the Midrange," Digital Review. June 22, 1992. Manel, Kimberly, "Notes Gets In the Picture," Datamation. July 15, 1992. Marshak, D, "Digital Designs Distributed Multimedia Strategy," Patricia Seybold's Network Monitor. November, 1991. McLachlan, Gordon, "Workgroup Software Foreshadows NT," LAN Computing. November, 1992. Mehler, Mark, "Notes Fanatic," Corporate Computing. August, 1992. "Microsoft New Windows for Workgroups Graphical User Interface," Software Industry Bulletin. October 26, 1992. Multimedia Catalyst Portfolio, Sun Microsystems, September, 1992. "Multimedia Computing -- Unleashing the Market Opportunity Focus Report," Dataquest Incorporated, November 16, 1992. Multimedia Distributed Computing: IBM's Direction for Multimedia Distributed Systems, (white paper distributed by IBM). November 10, 1992. "Multimedia: IBM States Plans for Multimedia Conferencing Applications," EDGE On or About AT&T. November 13, 1992. PC Magazine. March 16, 1993. Quick, Gregory, "Silicon Graphics Incorporates Digital Media," Computer Reseller News. April 20, 1992. Rohrbough, Linda "New Video for Windows Supported by 150 Applications," Newsbytes. November 11, 1992. Schultz, Gary and Nick Arnett, "Workstation Multimedia: Major Vendors Begin to Show Strategies," Multimedia Computing and Presentations. February 10, 1992. Seymour, Jim, "Silicon Graphics: Hidden Power," PC Magazine. May 12, 1992. "Silicon Graphics Offers Full-Motion Video Board," PC User. May 6, 1992. Smith, Gina, "IBM PS/2 Ultimedia M57 SLC," PC-Computing. October, 1992. Spanbauer, Scott, "Buyers Guide: Multimedia Systems," PC World. May, 1992. Sullivan, Kristina B., "SGI to Offer Avid's Multimedia Wares on Iris Workstations," PC Week. July 6, 1992. SunFLASH (distributed by Sun Microsystems). April, 1992. "Ultimedia Tools: Ultimedia Tools Series Available from IBM," EDGE: Work-Group Computing Report. November 13, 1992. Varney, Sarah E, "DEC Multimedia Program Uses DECstations," Digital Review. November 4, 1991. Vendor-published sources. "Workgroup Windows: Microsoft Windows for Workgroups 3.1 Makes Information Sharing Easier," EDGE: Work-Group Computing Report. November 2, 1992. Other Input In addition to the above sources, many HP personnel gave input to this document. Some were interviewed on the telephone prior to development of this survey. Others provided written reports they had already developed. Still other reviewed the drafts. Sales reps and pre-sales support personnel at each of the vendor companies also provided extensive (if unknowing) input. As noted in Section 4 "Channel Partners," the Computer Select Library wasalso used for this report. Specific articles are listed individually above. In addition, the Hardware and Software Product Specification sections were used extensively. HP Personnel Jim Belcher Janet Dobbs Charlie Fernandez Eric Grall Eric Handgen Marsha Haugen Dennis Kelly Bill Kemper Petra Kinsman Ron McKenzie David Moreno Pauline Mustazza Sameer Nadkarni Lou Petrella Frank Recchia Gary Rose John Rose Jef Shen Jan Silverman Dick Thompson Peter Vescuso Bill Yoder The Post Group Joe Jaynes Lynn Post