OnTime v4.0 General Overview

Waterloo, ON - 1996-11-11 - OnTime Enterprise v4.0 lets users manage group scheduling over the Web, and schedule across heterogeneous networks, giving virtually any user the ability to schedule from anywhere at anytime.

The value of OnTime Enterprise 4.0 is readily apparent to companies such as a major international bank based in Switzerland which has 15 servers running a mix of NetWare, Windows NT, UNIX and DEC network operating systems. Some branch offices have networks without WAN links to the home office in Zurich. "We've looked at other products, including some that promise to let us schedule across platforms in the future, but OnTime does it now," states one of the bank's network administrators. "We're going to stick with what we know."

OnTime already provides the best solution for people who are serious about group scheduling with its client/server architecture that enables real time scheduling and an easy-to-use client interface that invites widespread acceptance by end users. New OnTime Enterprise v4.0 features strengthen that position.

OnTime's integration with Windows NT as an NT service, and its use of the TCP/IP communication protocol, make OnTime Enterprise v4.0 the ideal solution for heterogeneous network environments. Customers who use several network operating systems for shared file and print services, or those who are moving from one network to another will like OnTime's ability to deliver company-wide scheduling in such challenging environments.

OnTime's multi-platform support goes beyond network operating systems to include desktop operating systems. OnTime Enterprise v4.0 ships with strong Windows and Macintosh clients. Its Web Edition enables any user to manage their calendars from their Web browser, thus including users who would otherwise be unable to participate in enterprise-wide scheduling. This includes computers running the many flavors of UNIX, as well as upcoming Network Computers.

The OnTime Enterprise v4.0 Windows client is enhanced with the capability to notify users about calendar changes via SMTP compliant mail systems, adding to existing support for MAPI, VIM or MHS based E-mail systems. Version 4.0 includes a new Macintosh client with support for multiple windows and an upgraded UI with new Day and Week views, support for E-mail notification and workgroup support.

Besides multi-platform scheduling capabilities, OnTime Enterprise v4.0 is designed to give network administrators a product that is easy to install, manage and expand. Even though organizations get group schedulers for "free" in application suites, the cost in time and resources to deploy some of these e-mail based schedulers to users on numerous servers can be significant. OnTime eliminates many of these costs.

The reliability, scaleability and ease of management of Windows NT makes it the perfect platform to host a mission-critical application service. OnTime takes advantage of NT's built in registry, event logging, performance monitoring and security capabilities to deliver an enterprise-wide scheduler that is easy to manage.

Administrators can install OnTime and get it operational in under 15 minutes. Normal management tasks such as maintaining users and services are reduced to drag-and-drop simplicity using the new OnTime administrative tools. Expanding OnTime through the organization is simple because of its distributed server architecture that works well for a few users or several thousand. This scaleability from a small workgroup to a large enterprise network is unmatched by other group scheduling solutions.

OnTime Enterprise v4.0 delivers additional scheduling benefits to organizations with new features that capitalize on the Internet. The OnTime Web Edition that comes with version 4.0 allows users to not only view their calendars from a Web browser, but also set up appointments, keep track of tasks and schedule group meetings. This significantly increases OnTime's value by giving users instant access from any desktop operating system anywhere on the Internet. Not only does this Web support expand the number of users within an organization who can run OnTime, but it also increases users' ability to access OnTime from anywhere at anytime.

Susan McCreary, head of automation support for the Army's Medical Research & Material Command, observes that there are often times when a Web browser is the only way they can access their calendars. "Many of our users travel and they live on their laptops. We expect OnTime's Web access capability to be a major plus for us."

OnTime's Windows client allows users to embed URLs into notes attached to appointments and tasks. Recipients can click on these URLs to access agendas, pre-meeting reading material, meeting minutes and other associated documents that are posted on Internet and Intranets sites. This makes the full power of multimedia Web pages available to users who manage meetings with OnTime.

Companies will find that the new OnTime Calendar Publisher, another OnTime Enterprise v4.0 feature, is the most powerful and easiest way to post attractive calendars on their Web pages. Displaying trade show schedules, company holidays or other event-oriented information on Intranet or Internet sites no longer requires complex HTML coding and repetitive data editing. A simple line of HTML code links a Web page to an OnTime calendar so that it can be displayed on a Web site. This live link ensures that any modifications to this calendar appear on the Web site as quickly as they're made.

For additional information, see the New OnTime Enterprise v4.0 Group Scheduler Offers NT Integration, Multi- Platform Support and Web Scheduling Capabilities press release or call 800-559-5955 or 734-542-5955, fax 734-542-1805, e-mail info@opentext.com or visit www.opentext.com/ontime.

For more information, please contact

Margaret E. Dobbin
Director, Industry Analyst Relations
Open Text Corporation
+1-519-888-7111 ext.2410
mdobbin@opentext.com

Sarah Burns
High Road Communications
(416) 368-8348
sburns@highrd.com