Financial services group, Gensec (Genbel Securities Limited) provides leading financial service in the areas of asset management, investment banking and property services. The organisation relies heavily on the Infinity trading system, which runs on the UNIX environment and is available to all workstations across the company`s LAN, along with several other Windows applications.
To extend Infinity`s functionality to WAN users, and ensure seamless integration between the UNIX and Windows environments, Gensec chose the award-winning X server, Reflection X from MB Technologies subsidiary, LAN Design.
"Reflection X allows users to run X applications alongside other Windows applications on the PC," explains Koos van der Merwe, sales and marketing manager of LAN Design reseller, TSI.
The X Window system is a portable, multi-user graphical window system that allows users to run several applications at the same time, each in its own window (similar to Microsoft Windows).
The X Window system is based on a client/server model. The client is an application program that runs on a host computer. The X display server-Reflection X-is the intermediary software between the client application programs and the local display hardware and input devices (a mouse or keyboard). The server tracks all input, and conveys it to the relevant client applications. The server also keeps track of output from clients and updates the display accordingly. This division in the X Window System architecture allows the clients and the display server to reside on different machines. The client applications reside on mini-computers and mainframes while the server runs on the local computer.
Since first installing Reflection X late last year, Gensec is successfully running the application over the WAN between Johannesburg and Cape Town. "Now that the product has proved itself, we will soon be rolling it out to mobile users and international offices in Dublin and New York," says Van der Merwe.
"Thanks to Reflection X, Gensec employees now enjoy all the benefits of both the UNIX and Windows environments, and easily transfer data between the two. For example, copying data from Infinity and pasting it in Microsoft Excel is a breeze, as is printing it from anywhere on the local network."
"Reflection X allows Infinity to seamlessly integrate with other applications on the desktop," Van der Merwe adds. "All the user sees is the Infinity icon. When he clicks on it, a window opens and he`s able to use the application. That`s the benefit Gensec is looking for - and gets."
Neill Rosenthal - WRQ product manager at LAN Design - adds: "Reflection has once again proven itself in a mission-critical environment. Companies across the globe have come to rely on Reflection to give them fast and reliable access to their host systems, and will continue to do so for a long time to come as WRQ embraces newer technologies such as web-to-host."
Share
LAN Design
LAN Design is a division of the MB Technologies Group and over the past financial year has contributed to the phenomenal 58% overall growth of the group.
"Unlike other distributors, LAN Design sees itself as Networking and Communications specialist and is completely focussed on the Channel."
For the year ahead, we are proactively aligning ourselves to launch in new market places, whilst still maintaining our existing valued customer base. We are making contacts in Africa, which will be a very lucrative venture for LAN Design.
"We are not only adding new products to our range, but are striving to constantly realign our business to the ever changing needs of the Industry as well as the constant changes in technology. Above all adding value to each transaction."
LAN Design has a very powerful Sales Team of expert Product Managers, Account Managers and a Business Development Manager led by Managing Director, George Smalberger.
The team is dedicated to being fast, focussed, flexible, friendly, fun and very visible in the industry! We are constantly developing relationships with both our suppliers and customers alike, by maintaining personal care."