Sequent Announces NUMACenter 2.0, a Launch Pad for Windows NT to the Data Center; NUMACenter Enables Rapid Application Deployment, Lower Cost of Solution, and Central Management
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Sequent Computer Systems, Inc., a leader in Intel-based data center solutions, has introduced NUMACenter 2.0, a second generation mixed mode computing environment enabling rapid deployment, lower cost and central management of large scale, mission critical Windows NT Server applications.

The NUMACenter 2.0 environment delivers leading single system performance and an extensible framework for mixed Windows NT and UNIX manageability, serviceability and availability. This includes Sequent's new Advanced Detection Availability Manager (ADAM) for single point monitoring of mixed resources and Storage Area Networks.

In addition, Sequent is providing sizing and performance characterization for NUMACenter and comprehensive proofing to reduce deployment time and ensure success for strategic front office, enterprise resource management and decision support applications, including SAP R/3, Oracle Web-enabled Applications and Siebel Enterprise Applications.

"Many large organizations have selected Windows NT as a strategic direction to simplify their IT operations, lower costs and leverage the richness of the development environment," said Jeff Pancottine, vice president of global marketing at Sequent. "NUMACenter is an Intel-based framework that enables our customers to deliver on that vision today and know they can support future growth and innovation."

NUMACenter 2.0 is a framework of hardware, Windows NT and UNIX operating systems, middleware, diagnostic and management tools, and services, including:

• Consolidation of Pentium II Xeon-based UNIX and Windows NT Server nodes in a single enterprise cabinet
• Shared EMC storage and STK backup facilities
• Single log-on and access to UNIX files and print queues from Windows desktops
• Single point mixed node management and control through Sequent's Advanced Detection Availability Manager (ADAM)
• Single point event viewing and monitoring
• Single view performance monitoring
• Thin Client Support for Citrix MetaFrame, Windows Terminal Server and Java Web Clients
• Complete proofing of NUMACenter elements and characterization of key solutions by Sequent's Solution Integration Group

Rapid Application Deployment

A major issue for IT organizations is the time to achieving competitive advantage promised by new point applications or broad business application suites. NUMACenter is a framework for rapid deployment of Windows NT Server applications in a data center environment.

Sequent's pre-integration, testing and characterization of NUMACenter eliminate much of the work and many of the unforeseen obstacles that hinder the rollout of an application. The system integrator or end customer can reduce a deployment cycle with NUMACenter by 30% to 70% by limiting this onsite infrastructure integration.

Customers can also benefit from Sequent's proven Contact Advantage, Application Advantage and Decision Advantage professional services methodologies and best practices for key applications.

Lower Cost of Solution vs Pure UNIX

NUMACenter provides a lower cost of solution with 30% lower initial infrastructure costs compared with a pure UNIX environment, lower deployment costs, centralized management of resources, and hardware investment protection.

NUMACenter extends much of the price/performance advantage of Windows NT to a proven mixed Windows and UNIX environment able to support large numbers of users and large amounts of data. NUMACenter offers rapid deployment and risk reduction capability through proofing, characterization and best practices.

It consolidates Windows and UNIX resources in the data center where they can be most effectively managed. The NUMACenter framework also can be up-graded to leverage new integration and management tools or re-purposed as a pure Windows or pure UNIX environment.

Central Management and Control

NUMACenter 2.0 represents a significant effort to assemble and proof best of breed management frameworks and tools that increase the manageability, serviceability and availability of mixed environments.

• NUMACenter offers single log-on and access to Windows and UNIX files and print queues via a Windows terminal with FacetCorp's FacetWin.
• Sequent's Advanced Detection Availability Manager (ADAM) enables monitoring and diagnostics of all devices and network connections in the NUMACenter environment from a single data center console or remote location through dial-up networking.
• Sequent has partnered with Computer Associates and Tivoli to deliver robust enterprise management of Windows NT and UNIX resources in the NUMACenter environment through the Unicenter TNG and Tivoli TME products. Each delivers integrated security, operations, network, help desk, performance and event management services from a common graphical user interface.
• BMC's Patrol provides application and database monitoring services to ensure the highest level of business application availability.
• Datametrics ViewPoint brings together the performance monitoring services of the NUMACenter environment. ViewPoint's on board analysis tools significantly reduce the time to isolate a problem that might cause application degradation or down time.

Industry Leading TPC-C Performance

Sequent demonstrated NUMACenter mixed mode performance with the industry's best single system TPC-C benchmark result of 86,252 TpmCs and 170.60 $/TpmC (see http://www.tpc.org/new_result/ttperf.idc ).

Pricing and Availability

NUMACenter 2.0 pricing starts at $250K for an eight processor Pentium II Xeon-based system with console and ADAM, running Windows NT and UNIX. This entry pricing is roughly 100K less than pure UNIX configurations from the major vendors. NUMACenter 2.0 begins shipping Dec. 11, 1998.

Sequent customers rolling out Windows NT Server data center solutions include BMW, Europcar International Car Rental, Hollywood Entertainment, ICG Communications, Lloyd's Bank TSB, NatWest Card Services and U.S. Bureau of Prisons.

About Sequent Computer Systems, Inc.

Sequent Computer Systems (Nasdaq:SQNT), the leader in Intel-based solutions for the data center, is committed to the success of its end-user and system integrator customers.

Sequent's platform architectures and services are optimized for the scalability, availability and manageability requirements of corporate and institutional data center environments leveraging industry-standard technologies and best-in-class partnerships.

Sequent supports more than 10,000 installations worldwide, including many of the world's largest and most sophisticated OLTP, DSS and RDBMS applications.