ASHLAND, OR. -- February 9, 1999 -- Open Door Networks Inc. today announced that is was shipping ShareWay IP 2.0, a major new release of its groundbreaking Internet and intranet file sharing product. ShareWay IP 2.0 makes sharing Macintosh files through Internet protocols as easy as sharing the same files through AppleTalk, and is the first Macintosh product to utilize the Internet-standard Service Location Protocol (SLP). ShareWay IP 2.0 also includes additional ease-of-use and security features requested by users.
"With Mac OS 8.5, Apple has made the Internet as easy to use as a Macintosh," said Peter Lowe, director of worldwide product marketing, Mac OS. "And now with ShareWay IP 2.0's support for Apple's Network Service Location, Open Door Networks has made Internet-based personal file sharing as easy to use as file sharing over AppleTalk networks."
"ShareWay IP has been critical to customers needing IP-based file sharing for over a year," said Alan Oppenheimer, president of Open Door Networks. "But until now they've had to give up some of AppleTalk's ease of use to gain the power and reach of IP. ShareWay IP 2.0 makes IP file sharing as easy as AppleTalk file sharing, while at the same time advancing the cause of ease-of-use on the Internet by pushing the envelope with SLP."
ShareWay IP 2.0 includes two new ease-of-use features previously only available through AppleTalk file sharing: the ability, through SLP, to dynamically locate and access servers (as with the AppleTalk Chooser), and the ability to provide file service through a transparent, OS-integrated mechanism. ShareWay IP also continues to provide easy server access from Web pages through AFP URLs.
ShareWay IP 2.0 utilizes Apple's new Network Services Location (NSL) technology, included with Mac OS 8.5, to dynamically register through SLP, in much the same way that AppleTalk-based file sharing registers with the Name Binding Protocol (NBP). Clients wishing to easily browse and access ShareWay IP servers can utilize Open Door's new AFP Engage! 2.0 product and NSL to display a list of available servers and to initiate point-and-click access to those servers through the standard AppleShare client. A copy of AFP Engage! 2.0 is included with ShareWay IP 2.0.
ShareWay IP 2.0 also includes a new background-only mode of operation. In background-only mode, ShareWay IP essentially becomes a part of the Mac OS itself, transparently merging with the Mac's built-in personal file sharing to provide seamless IP-based file sharing. Users no longer have to worry about accidentally quitting ShareWay IP, or wonder why it shows up in the application menu. Finally, ShareWay IP 2.0 includes real-time logging features which are essential to any comprehensive security strategy.
ShareWay IP is available in three editions: Personal, Standard and Professional. Personal supports the Mac's built-in personal file sharing; Standard supports any single AppleTalk Filing Protocol (AFP) server, such as AppleShare 4.x, Windows NT or Novell NetWare; Professional supports up to 256 AFP servers. Due to limitations with Apple's SLP plug-in, only the Personal and Standard editions are being upgraded to 2.0 at this time. A future version of the SLP plug-in is expected to address these limitations, at which time a ShareWay IP Professional 2.0 is anticipated.
Free evaluation versions of ShareWay IP 2.0 Personal and Standard editions and AFP Engage! 2.0 are available from the ShareWay IP Web site at http://www.opendoor.com/shareway/ . The Web site also contains information about the Service Location Protocol, which is key to ShareWay IP 2.0's ease of use. The prices for ShareWay IP remain unchanged at $79 ($69 educational) for the Personal Edition and $249 ($179 educational) for the Standard Edition. Volume and site licenses are available. Upgrades from previous versions of ShareWay IP Personal and Standard are also available, and are free to anyone purchasing these products after January 3, 1999. All products can be purchased directly off the Web site.
Open Door Networks, Inc., a pioneer in the field of Internet tools for Macintosh computers, was founded in January, 1995 by Alan Oppenheimer, an 11-year Apple veteran and co-creator of the AppleTalk network system. Open Door's mission is to provide Macintosh users with Internet solutions that are as easy-to-use and as powerful as the Macintosh itself. Open Door Networks is located in Ashland, Oregon.
ShareWay IP and AFP Engage! are trademarks of Open Door Networks, Inc.