New Products From Artisoft

In June 1998, Artisoft released version 8.0 of its flagship LANtastic networking software. LANtastic 8.0 includes support for Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT 4.0, DOS, and Windows 3.1, while maintaining the low pricing of the previous version. This new version of LANtastic comes in one, ten, and unlimited user versions, with upgrades available for each.

LANtastic has several benefits over the networking built into Windows 95 and 98. Artisoft has always claimed a significant speed advantage over Microsoft's networking. Also, when migrating your existing DOS and Windows 3.1 PCs running LANtastic to Windows 98, things will go much smoother by installing LANtastic on the Windows 98 PCs. This allows all PCs to continue to connect to the network while the upgrade is in process. Otherwise, there may be significant periods of downtime for users while your server and workstations are converted to the new networking software. A third benefit is LANtastic's powerful security features which can limit access even to specific files, compared to Windows 98's "all-or-nothing" approach to security. With Microsoft networking, users need to install a Windows NT server to get comparable security.

i.Share, You Share

If your company has a PC running Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows NT, you have the ability to use its modem to share an Internet connection over your network. Artisoft's i.Share 3.0 allows several users to access the Internet simultaneously using only one dial-up Internet account, which reduces costs. The connection is automatically established whenever the first user accesses the Internet, and disconnected when the last user finishes, saving on phone charges. i.Share is a great way to share a 56k modem or ISDN high-speed Internet connection among all your employees without paying for expensive routing hardware and/or a leased-line Internet connection.

i.Share 3.0 is compatible with the newest versions of Netscape Navigator 4.0 and Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0. Licenses are available in three, ten, and 32-user versions. This new version also works with NetBEUI and IPX networks such as Microsoft networking and Novell Netware, in addition to LANtastic.

While We're Sharing...

Artisoft's ModemShare32 allows a PC to share its modem across the network for faxing or dial-out access. Sharing a modem gives your company the ability to give all PCs access to a modem, without the purchase of several modems or installing extra phone lines to each desk. However, only Windows communication programs can use ModemShare32.

Work From Home

The "Working Out Of The Office" article from our Second Quarter 1998 newsletter discussed remote control. Artisoft's award-winning CoSession32 allows outside users (such as ITS, or employees working from home at night) to call in and take control of a PC at the office. This could allow ITS to call in and fix problems faster. Also, this would enable ITS to work without traveling to your location, saving your company the cost of a service call.
CoSession32 includes both the Host and Viewer software, and is sold in one- or two-computer licenses.

August 1998

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