^7_of_9
23rd January 2003, 11:10 PM
By David Becker (david.becker@cnet.com)
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
January 23, 2003, 12:59 PM PT
Houston has begun to phase out Microsoft Office for its 13,000 city workers in favor of Web-based software from a local start-up.
The Texas city signed a five-year, $9.5 million contract last year with Houston-based SimDesk Technologies to provide city workers and, eventually, up to 3 million city residents with the company's software and services.
SimDesk offers a package of more than two-dozen applications covering basic PC tasks such as word processing, spreadsheets, calendars and e-mail. The applications include a subscription to SimDesk's Web-based services, which allow customers to store documents, messages and other data on a central server run by SimDesk. This data can be retrieved and manipulated from any device with a Web connection, including cell phones and handheld computers.
Ray Davis, SimDesk's founder and president, said the key to making it work is an extremely efficient protocol for transferring data to and from SimDesk's central server. The company has a single 32-processor Unisys server capable of handling 21 million users.
Full Story Here (http://news.com.com/2100-1001-981878.html?tag=fd_top)
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
January 23, 2003, 12:59 PM PT
Houston has begun to phase out Microsoft Office for its 13,000 city workers in favor of Web-based software from a local start-up.
The Texas city signed a five-year, $9.5 million contract last year with Houston-based SimDesk Technologies to provide city workers and, eventually, up to 3 million city residents with the company's software and services.
SimDesk offers a package of more than two-dozen applications covering basic PC tasks such as word processing, spreadsheets, calendars and e-mail. The applications include a subscription to SimDesk's Web-based services, which allow customers to store documents, messages and other data on a central server run by SimDesk. This data can be retrieved and manipulated from any device with a Web connection, including cell phones and handheld computers.
Ray Davis, SimDesk's founder and president, said the key to making it work is an extremely efficient protocol for transferring data to and from SimDesk's central server. The company has a single 32-processor Unisys server capable of handling 21 million users.
Full Story Here (http://news.com.com/2100-1001-981878.html?tag=fd_top)