Centralized maintenance

Avoid the requirement for managing remote clients on each individual desktop. WebConnect is a thin client, server side solution. No client software is required on the remote device. Upgrades are easy to install and come free with current maintenance. Simply install the latest version of WebConnect on a central server and subsequent users have access to all the features and functionality of the new release.

Enhanced productivity

WebConnect is an excellent product for both internal and remote users. The WebConnect technology is proven and reliable. It provides a secure browser based connection to the mainframe that can be accessed anywhere on the road, at home or at work. Our patented "Persistent Connection" maintains the session until it either times out or the user terminates the connection.

Security

WebConnect is designed to provide a secure communication from the browser all the way to the mainframe. WebConnect comes with a fully functional SSL capability that can be enabled in the admin console. A separate SSL Server is not required. A key security feature that WebConnect provides which other emulation technologies do not is the ability to encrypt the 3270 data stream from the browser to the host. In addition the product provides token passing at the session level for connections to third party web servers to preclude session replication and the ability to deploy behind with any policy manager, as a protected resource. Security is not a direct ROI enhancer, but when a breach occurs the financial loss associated with unauthorized access can very easily exceed the cost of acquiring WebConnect.

Ease of use

For administrators, WebConnect is very easy to install and to use. The web browser is used as the primary resource for emulation. WebConnect includes a Macro conversion/scripting editor for Rumba and Attachmate Macros.

Concurrent User Licensing

The WebConnect product is licensed based on a concurrent user model. Licenses are pooled at the server and utilization is measured at the host. Licensing is not based on total user population, therefore you can eliminate the 1 for 1 licensing requirements that are associated with a fat client implementation. Your concurrent user ratio is based on the number of WebConnect licenses that are needed to support a defined number of users. For example, a 2:1 concurrent user ratio implies that 1 license is needed to support 2 users. A concurrent user implementation is a very powerful ROI enhancer in two areas: software acquisition and annual maintenance renewal costs.

Reduced cost of maintenance

Annual maintenance renewal costs with the WebConnect technology are significantly less, due to the concurrent user model. Pay for annual maintenance based on the reduced number of licenses that are required to support your user population. Unlike a desktop emulation solution (Fat Client), you will not pay maintenance on client licenses that you are using infrequently, or perhaps not using at all. An additional ROI enhancer is the ability to eliminate physical emulation terminals and replace them with a computer and a web browser.

WebConnect is a bundled installation

No SSL Server or Application server is required for WebConnect to run, nor is an admin server needed to access the admin console. WebConnect is very portal friendly (refer to the Portal Integration White Paper for more). The product is a true 3 tier architecture and holes do not have to be punched in a firewall to enable connectivity.