The Open Group Announces Internet-Ready X Window System™ X11R6.4

Cambridge, Massachusetts - March 31, 1998 - The Open Group today announced X11R6.4, the latest release of the X Window System technology.  Through a ground-breaking initiative to develop a low bandwidth, smaller memory footprint X Window System version, X11 can now create and access interactive applications across corporate intranets or on the World Wide Web.  Any application linked to the Web using X Window System technology  can be located, seamlessly accessed and executed with the same tools used for accessing static HTML documents today - Web browsers.  With Web access and X11, users can access any application, from any device, anywhere around the globe. Examples include:

• Content Providers: Offering Web Users Information on Demand
  Much of the information on the Web today is offered via static HTML pages. X11 provides truly interactive access to databases and other ‘live’ applications. With X11 users receive full graphic output(not just text and GIF images(without the need for proprietary desktop hardware. And with the security features of X11, content providers retain full control over their information and its use.
• Internationalization: Reaching Global Markets
  Doing business is easier for multi-national enterprises if they can service their customers in their own language. X11 incorporates text input and rendering to a variety of languages, including Thai, Arabic and Hebrew.

"Historically the X Window System has been one of the most stable and reliable GUI technologies available. Now, through continued development and support by The Open Group’s X Project Team, we are bringing this stability and reliability to the Web. We have streamlined X11 and provided enhanced features and security making it the ideal Web solution," said Dave Knorr, Business Manager of The Open Group X Project Team. "There is no need to go through expensive re-writing of applications. With X11R6.4 you can be Internet -ready within hours, using existing applications as-is."

This new release of the X Window System technology, coupled with its historic technical stability and underlying client/server model architecture, solves the problem of remote application access for web browsers. The X Window System technology allows existing shrink-wrapped or custom applications to be seamlessly accessed by an X11-enabled Web browser through such features as universal access and Low-Bandwidth X. The release of X11R6.4 increases the productivity of X11 users through new extensions and Internet-ready features that save both time and money:

• X Server Memory Footprint Reduction - The X Server Memory footprint can be reduced by 20-50% (optional choice), making X11 the perfect choice for the thin client needs of network computing.
• Easy Resource Configuration (ERC) - The setting and changing of resources in X Window System applications can now be done ‘on the fly.’ A restart of the application after a configuration change is no longer required. ERC provides for easy customization of end user applications and increased user productivity.

"The ERC functionality is a powerful and convenient way to configure X Window System application resources without having to restart your application" said IBM’s Director of AIX Development - Gerry Hackett.

• Xinerama™ - Permits a multi-headed system to function as one large screen. Applications can also be ‘dragged’ between screens.
• Low-Bandwidth X (LBX)) - The new version of X Window System includes LBX, a high-performance Internet distributed graphics protocol that runs at up to one-tenth the bandwidth of regular X.
• Remote Execution - The X11 remote execution capability seamlessly integrates with Web technology allowing anyone with a browser to invoke a remote application at the click of a mouse.
• Web Browser Plug-in - The X Window System embedding capability allows you to embed full functioning programs, not just applets or scripts.
• Security - Designed to work with existing Web security provisions, the enhanced security features within X11 require no changes to existing applications.

Other new features in the X11R6.4 release include: Display Power Management Signaling - saving millions in electrical fees with automatic screen shut down; Extended Visual Information - providing additional information in areas as colormaps and frame buffer levels; and Colormap Utilization Policy - reducing color changes when switching between platform applications, such as Windows NT® and UNIX®.

Kent Ferson, vice president of engineering in the UNIX Systems Group at Digital Equipment Corporation, said, "Digital is pleased to see the continued advancement of the X Window System technologies through today's announcement of X11R6.4. Digital has a long and successful history with X11 technology as exemplified by our latest contributions of DPMS (Display Power Management Systems extensions) and Xinerama. The new X11R6.4 technology will enable Digital to continue delivering high-performance, 64-bit Digital UNIX alpha workstations to enhance customer application performance."

With the release of X11R6.4 there will be a commercial use licensing fee associated with the X Window System technology. [NOTE:  This new licensing structure will continue to provide the research, application development and hobbiest communities with the same value it always has without a fee. And, it will help assure the continued evolution of the X Window System program with the support of those companies who build their businesses from this technology. [NOTE - September 1998    The Open Group has restored the licensing terms and conditions for X11R6.4 , so that it is freely available under the traditional X Window style copyright (for any purpose, no fee) [ http://www.opengroup.org/x/ ]]

"As a charter member of the MIT X Consortium in 1988, Sequent welcomes The Open Group's new role in distributing X11R6.4, an innovative GUI technology which has evolved over ten years to become a stable and mature standard for open systems. Sequent endorses the licensing fee for X11R6.4 as a great value for any OEMs providing open systems that offer intranet and web solutions." said Dale Goebel, V.P. of Engineering, Sequent Computer Systems, Inc.

 X11 is enhanced and supported through work done by The Open Group X Project Team.  Members of the X Project Team include: Astec, Attachmate, BARCO Chromatics, CliniComp International, Digital, Hewlett Packard, Hitachi, Hummingbird Communications, IBM, Jupiter Systems, Metro Link, NCD, NetManage, Peritek, Seaweed Systems, Sequent Computer Systems, Shiman Associates, Silicon Graphics, SNI, Starnet Communications, Societe Axel, SunSoft, WRQ, Xi Graphics.

For information on joining the X Project Team and X11R 6.4 licensing, either

• go to: http://www.opengroup.org /desktop/x/projteam.htm
• contact your local Open Group office, or
• contact Laura Sargent on +1 (617) 621-8814.

Note to Editors: Motif, OSF/1, UNIX and the "X" device are registered trademarks, and IT DialTone, X Window System, LBX, Xinerama and The Open Group are trademarks of The Open Group, in the US and other countries.

Windows NT is a registered trademark