12/11-07   -   Pressemeddelelse

StarNet Launches X-Win32 LIVE: The Ultimate PC X Server

StarNet Communications of Sunnyvale (California), a leading developer of Windows-to-Linux/UNIX connectivity solutions, announces X-Win32 LIVE Edition, the first fully-featured PC X server capable of protecting users connected to a remote Linux/Unix host against Windows crashes and network or power failures. X-Win32 LIVE also offers the ability to move X sessions from one PC to another and to work at LAN-like speed when connecting over slow Internet connections.

X-Win32 LIVE Edition is a next-generation Windows-to-Linux/Unix connectivity tool that adds the ability to run “LIVE" sessions. Users simply reconnect to their X Windows sessions on the remote host after a crash or they can manually suspend and resume their sessions, such as at the end of a workday. In addition, LIVE sessions can be suspended on one PC and resumed on another Windows machine. Compression and streamlining of the X11 traffic also allows LIVE sessions to perform at LAN-like speed when connecting to remote hosts over Internet connections.

“For the first time, our customers can connect to applications on remote hosts from anywhere, work at LAN speed, securely and without the constant fear of losing their session," said Steven Schoch, StarNet co-founder and Chief Executive Officer.

For two decades engineers, developers and network administrators have endured the frustration of losing valuable time and data when their sessions on remote UNIX/Linux hosts terminated due to the PC losing its connection to the network. Especially when connecting over the Internet, directly or via VPN, network glitches have made working from home or elsewhere impractical. Session persistency has become such a critical requirement in many industries such as semiconductor design, many firms have resorted to haphazard freeware solutions such as VNC in favor of faster and more secure but vulnerable PC X server connections.

“Our customers will achieve tremendous productivity gains when running LIVE sessions. They can enjoy all the performance and productivity advantages of a regular PC X server with the added benefits of session persistency, session mobility and high-speed performance over slow Internet connections," Schoch said.

The Ultimate PC X Server Experience
Besides reconnecting to session after a crash, users can manually suspend a LIVE session and resume it at a later point. Moreover, they can resume the session from a different PC, such as a home computer in order to continue working on a session they started at work.

X-Win32 LIVE is optionally available for installation on USB Flash dives. “When running LIVE sessions from a USB flash drive, you can start a session on one PC, suspend it, take the USB drive to another PC, even at home, and resume the session. Nothing gets installed on the PC and nothing remains after the USB key is removed. It is the ultimate experience in X host access," Schoch said.

LIVE Sessions allow users to bring up a full Unix (CDE) or Linux (Gnome, KDE) desktop, even when working from home over DSL or Cable, VPN or other Internet connection. Until now, the amount of network bandwidth consumed by such desktops made working remotely impractical. Thanks to compression of the LIVE data and streamlining of the X11 traffic, LAN-like performance is achieved when connecting over the Internet. “You can now work effectively - and securely – with the applications on your remote Linux or Unix server while connecting wirelessly from your backyard lounge chair," Schoch said. “This has never been possible before. The high-speed performance of LIVE sessions opens the door to new ways for engineers and network administrators to work productively."

X-Win32 LIVE Edition comes bundled with traditional host access connection options such as REXEC, SSH or XDMCP and Telnet. The LIVE connection module is the latest innovation to be added to X-Win32. Earlier, X-Win32 was the first PC X server to offer an integrated SSH connection module to allow X11 traffic to run over a securely encrypted SSH tunnel.

LIVE sessions also benefit from the many productivity-enhancing features StarNet has built into its flagship PC X server during the past 18 years. This includes the ability to copy and paste data and graphics from UNIX/Linux applications directly into Windows programs like Microsoft Word and Excel and the ability to bring up multiple Unix and Linux desktops from different hosts at the same time.

PC X servers are used by millions of electrical and mechanical engineers, software developers, network and server administrators and others who use their Windows-based computers to access applications residing on powerful Linux and Unix servers. “StarNet continues to lead the PC X server industry with innovative new functionality that allows users to be more productive. LIVE sessions are by far the most important new capability we have developed in our 20-year history," Schoch said.