NET-TEL's Product Road Map
This Road Map defines the product goals that are at present planned, to achieve the NET-TEL Vision.
The timescale for these deliveries is as follows:
- Proof of Concept - EEMA Maastricht, June 1997
- Release Candidate - April 1998
- First Release - June 1998
- Second Release - September 1998
Windows client (First Release - June 1998)
Providing consistent "look and feel" within the Microsoft desktop environment, this "Millennium qualified" client offers convenient access to messaging, directory and collaborative/groupware functionality. It is fully integrated with the Microsoft MAPI architecture, allowing use with mail enabled office productivity tools, applications and scheduling/calendaring.
|
Click here for the full size screen shot of the
Windows client. (Use your browser's Back button to return to this page.) |
- Designed for the Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT and Microsoft Office 97 Compatible Logos. The client will execute under Windows 95 and Windows NT Workstation (or Server) as a 32-bit native application, supporting OLE and MAPI
- Qualified for operation with NET-TEL and/or third-party MAPI Service
Provider Interfaces (SPIs) for:
- X.400/P7 connected to any Message Store
- Route400/P7 with optimised access to a Route400 Universal Information Server
- POP3 and IMAP4
- Exchange Server
- Notes Server
- cc:Mail Server
- MS-Mail Post Office
- local in- and out- bound fax
- LDAP/DAP access to Directory Services for addresses and security keys
- Using the messaging backbone, the client can reach the worlds of SMTP/MIME, X.400 (ADMDs and PRMDs), Fax, cc:Mail, MS-Mail, Notes, GroupWise and more
- The client is optimised for use with the Route400 Universal Information Server, providing enhanced functionality and performance when operating in association with this server
- Security services for privacy, integrity and authentication using encryption and digital signature mechanisms from market-leading PGP and S/MIME technologies, allowing seamless secure message integration with the Internet
- Security based on market leading products, allowing customer choice of solution
- Roaming logon to any MailBox from any LAN-connected system, subject to password authentication
- Message recipients can be displayed in user configured formats
- Faster recipient lookup with NET-TEL Address Books
- Message contents editor can handle formatted text (RTF) and OLE objects
- Any document or file can be attached, with file information/properties preserved in transit
- The client supports high integrity messaging. For messages held in a Route400 Universal Information Server, it is not possible to purport that a message has been forwarded in its original form if it has been modified in any way; it may only be transmitted in its intended form or be explicitly modified
- Local and server based hierarchic foldering
- With the help of the Service Assistance Wizard, rules-based Automated Message Processing can be invoked for message foldering, replies, forwarding, discards and much more
- Folder views may also be sorted and filtered
- Support for url proxy (http:, ftp:, news:, mailto:, file:, ...), launching any suitably configured application or browser
- Full internal support for UNICODE, providing superior character set support
- Microsoft Office compatible spell checker
- Message attachments can be viewed with their associated application(s) automatically
- Any compliant MAPI form can be readily configured for use in workflow applications
- Extensible via plug-ins, allowing new functionality to be added using standard MS Exchange extensions
- All applicable functionality of the NET-TEL WUA 5.2.2 message client is included, giving familiarity for existing users. There is full migration support for existing 16-bit Route400 Windows clients
- Message threading and correlation allows conversations to be followed and gives "at a glance" view of the delivery and read status of sent messages
- Manager/Secretary (ManSec) features allow for delegated authority and subordinate use, in conjunction with a NET-TEL Universal Information Server
- Service Assistance Wizard enhancement, allowing rules-based operations to be invoked within local folders for automatic message foldering, replies, forwarding, discards, etc.
- Microsoft Office compatible thesaurus checker
- Scheduling and Calendaring support using emerging IETF calsch standards
- Access to newsgroups (post, read, threading, etc.) both directly and to those held within a NET-TEL UIS
- Third party conferencing (video, voice, whiteboard/shared application) package(s)
- Folder synchronisation for disconnected users
- Proprietary message recall, allowing (subject to message server support) messages sent in error to be obsoleted and expunged
- Security compatible with X.400 S0 and S0c security classes
- P772 Military Messaging content and Business Class Messaging content (X.400 1997)
- Security Labelling
(Address and Transport Providers - March 1998, Address, Transport and Store Providers - June 1998)
In order to allow message enabled desktop applications to make use of the Route400 UIS or any X.400 Message Store for message transport, a full MAPI Service Provider for X.400 P7 protocol (including optional NET-TEL extensions) is provided.
- Includes full Transport, Store and Address Providers
- Works with any third party message enabled, aware or based applications
- Calendar and scheduling transport support for Microsoft Schedule+ and Outlook
- Enables Office, workflow, group scheduling and other applications (eg Word, Outlook, cc:Mail v7) to send and receive messages via Route400 or any X.400 Message Store
- Transparently handles any message type, preserving all MAPI message properties
- Via a Route400 backbone, messages can be sent to and received from:
- X.400 users
- Internet mail users, including SMTP/MIME support
- Fax users with the benefits of least/lower cost in- and out- bound fax routing and conversion of attached documents to a readable (faxable) form
- cc:Mail, MS-Mail, Notes and GroupWise users
- Communications protocol support for TCP/IP (RFC 1006), Lightweight TCP/IP, APS, X.25 and CLNS
- The Store Provider can be configured as the MAPI Default Store with journalising and hierarchic foldering
- The Address Provider can give access to remote address books (via X.400 P7 extensions)
- Attachment ordering is preserved
- Using a NET-TEL UIS, additional benefits accrue, eg filter messages on MAPI message properties, general filtering and auto-actions
- DAP and LDAP access to X.500 & Internet Directories via the NET-TEL Address Provider
- Message threading and correlation allows conversations to be followed and rapid analysis of the delivery and read status of sent messages
- Manager/Secretary (ManSec) features allow for delegated authority and subordinate use, in conjunction with a NET-TEL Universal Information Server
- Public folders
- Windows NT domain security, as an alternative to a visible "login" to the Message Store
In cases where it has been decided to adopt a client/server approach for all applications through a Web interface, possibly using "thin clients" or Network Computers, and where server access is required instantly at a location where a suitable messaging client is not available, the WebMail client can be used.
|
Click here for the full size screen shot of
the WebMail client. (Use your browser's Back button to return to this page.) |
- Access a NET-TEL Universal Information Server from any device with a web browser
- Fully customisable by system administrator using standard Web authoring tools
- Access to addressing information from X.500 and/or LDAP directories
- User functionality is incrementally upgraded by server upgrade only
- Verified with de facto Web browsers: Netscape and Internet Explorer
- No configuration of the browser is necessary, service access is via the URL
- Easy to use, conventional, "frame based" interface
- Text-only interface provided for slow links/non-frames browsers
- Full binary attachment capability (send and receive), with multiple attachment support
- Conversion of some X.400 attachment types to Browser viewable format (eg g3fax -> GIF)
- Access to full Message Store functionality (eg foldering & filtering)
- Option to use SSL (Secure Socket Layer)
- Full user administrative capabilities (passwords, auto-actions, display formats etc.)
- Mail alerts
- Integrated with existing message client access:
in other words web access and message client access can coexist (same mailbox, same password) without user confusion - Address book support & management access to same X.400/P7 remote address books as RUA
- Implemented as a custom HTTP server for better performance/integration/security. No CGI programming is required to customise the mail interface
- As the product evolves, Java applets will be used selectively, for example in password handling and in order to provide a more responsive user interface (eg in user construction of complex filters)
- Supports standard HTTP/HTML and Web Server functionality, allowing information provision as well as mail access
- Gateway management using Web based interface for ease of installation and configuration
- Comprehensive usage and account logging
- Buttons to transfer addresses, text, pictures etc. to other documents and messages
- Powerful, Configurable searching with "user friendly" mode
- Full Browsing capability
- Configurable schema support
- Configurable viewers for custom attribute display
- Full support for the editing of entries
- LDAP and DAP support for access to X.500 and Internet directories
- Strong authentication and support for signed operations
- Schema discovery to allow self configuration/search tailoring
Windows & UNIX Messaging servers
- Designed for Windows NT (Server and Workstation) and BackOffice Logos, as a native 32-bit server installing as a service, and available across a wide range of NET-TEL supported UNIX platforms
- Provides Messaging, Workflow & Calendaring/Scheduling transport
- Documents and drafts may be held in the Message Store sourced from messaging clients
- Close integration of X.400 and SMTP/MIME gateway
- Suport for SMTP/MIME NOTARY extensions supporting delivery and read notifications between Internet and X.400
- Messaging protocol support for X.400/P7 and "WebMail" (http)
- Clients may be supported directly or via MAPI/SPI
- Multi-protocol access to same (individual) Message Store ("universal logon") with same password
- Continued communications protocol support for TCP/IP (RFC1006), APS, X.25 and CLNS on appropriate platforms
- Continued rich gateway/connector support for Fax, cc:Mail, MS-Mail, Notes, GroupWise, Internet and X.400
- Server based Automated Message Processing (AMP), supporting hierarchic private foldering, journal and rules-based auto-actions, including automated message threading, correlation, foldering, replies, forwarding, discards and alerting
- Internal use of UNICODE for continued superior character set support
- Continued strengths of Document Conversion
- Extended Security support including:
- Secure MTA Gateway
- Messaging/Anti-Virus Firewall
- Network layer firewall (see below)
- Server monitoring using SNMP
- MTA Use of Directory for DN lookup, DL expansion
- Extensions to support Manager/Secretary (ManSec) delegated authority and subordinate use
- Message Store extended to support POP3/IMAP4
- Shared folders in support of Collaborative/Team working
- Single copy message retention for multiple mailboxes within Message Store
- Windows NT domain security for Message Store access control
- S/MIME security support
- Directory support for MTA configuration, routing and storage of user information and preferences, according to emerging standards
- Use/exploitation of clustering technologies (eg NT/Wolfpack and UNIX equivalents)
- Proprietary extensions for message recall (obsolete with delete)
- Additional security to support the Electronic Commerce market, in particular the SSL and SET security standards for Web access to eCommerce applications
- Messaging/directory related security extensions for government and military purposes (eg P772)
- Scheduling and Calendaring support using emerging IETF calsch standards
- Support for X.500 (1993) and LDAP
- Messaging/Directory related security including storage of X.509 Certificates
- Certification Authority
- Directory storage (via DUA) of Distinguished Names (DNs) and Distribution Lists (DLs)
- Storage of MTA configuration and routing information, user information and preferences, for use by MTA and clients
- Directory storage of synchronised user addresses from Route400 MTAs and proprietary gateways
Although Usenet access can be provided at the client level through use of the NNTP, a high level of convenience and management can be provided through the integration of News and the Message Store foldering system. Selected news threads can be configured by the administrator to be fed into public (shared) or private folders for viewing in a manner entirely uniform with stored messages and documents. Users can view news threads through their access to shared folders and may move selective copies to their own private folders.
Network layer firewall(s)
NET-TEL recognises the vital importance of Network Layer firewalls in corporate information servers. These will be sourced from companies with recognised expertise in the field on a platform by platform basis (eg SunSoft for Solaris) either through NET-TEL recommendation or distribution.
Support for legacy systems
Macintosh, DOS, OS/2 and UNIX clients
There will be continued long term support for these platforms for maintenance, customer project specific developments and, necessarily to a limited extent for architectural reasons, for the support of new server features.
DOS & OS/2 Messaging servers
There will be continued long term support for these platforms for maintenance, customer project specific developments and, necessarily to a limited extent for architectural reasons, for the support of new server features.
Back to Part 3: The NET-TEL Vision
Forward to Part 5: The NET-TEL Response to the Information Challenge
