Personal Communications is a key component of both IBM Host Access Client Package and IBM WebSphere® Host Integration Solution. It helps enable secure access to mission-critical business systems for virtually every user.
Highlights
- Provides market-leading host connectivity and emulation
- Includes tools to easily combine host and desktop applications
- Helps you capitalize on existing investments and extend applications to Web-based technologies
- Enables users to have access to mission-critical business systems
- Has Microsoft® certification, designed for Microsoft Windows® XP
IBM Personal Communications, available on Microsoft® Windows® platforms, is a host communication and terminal emulation package that features 3270, 5250 and VT emulation; SNA application support; integration; and SNA and TCP/IP connectivity.
Personal Communications can bring the power of personal networking to the workstation and can exploit existing networking capabilities. This includes SNA applications and technologies, such as advanced program-to-program communication (APPC) and High-Performance Routing (HPR). It also provides TCP/IP support and an extensive application programming interface (API) set, offering Host Access Class Library (HACL) and Emulator High-Level Language Applications Programming Interface (EHLLAPI) through programming languages like C++ and VBScript, and Java™ technology.
Industry-leading emulation
Personal Communications continues to set the standard for terminal access to critical applications and data on different host systems, taking advantage of 3270, 5250, TN3270E, TN5250, VT52, VT100, VT220 and VT340 emulation. The Personal Communications industry-standard APIs include 32-bit EHLLAPI APIs, as well as Windows HLLAPIs (WinHLLAPIs).
Improved development capabilities
Personal Communications supports Host Access Beans for Java (based on the JavaBeans specification), Microsoft Visual Basic automation objects and VBScript. Building on the Personal Communications leadership in object¬-oriented programming, the HACL API provides a Java programming interface that enables you to create applications for both Personal Communications and WebSphere Host On-Demand. This capability enables flexibility while preserving your future investments.
Security when you need it most
With Personal Communications, you can be confident that you have access to a security-rich environment when you need it the most. Personal Communications supports Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), Version 3.0 and Transport Layer Security (TLS), Version 1.0. When combined with support for load-balancing Service Location Protocol (SLP) — found in products such as IBM Communications Server — you can configure Personal Communications to connect to only SSL-enabled servers, helping to provide more network security.
Accelerate the transition to On Demand Business
Personal Communications helps ensure that you are ready to make the transition to On Demand Business with tools that you can use today:
- Network integration
Personal Communications is designed to handle a wide variety of protocols — including Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN), HPR, SNA and IP — to help you connect users to the data they need to access mainframe applications and data.
- Connectivity
Personal Communications offers a fast, network-efficient connection to employees, customers, suppliers and trading partners. Replace outdated, disparate communication tools with one solution for access to critical business systems.
- On Demand Business tools
Personal Communications Java Interface for HACL helps you make the change to a Web-to-host environment more easily and efficiently. Using this tool can help you preserve your application-development investment, as you make the move to other IBM WebSphere Host Integration Solution products.
- Industry-standard solutions
From EHLLAPI to TCP/IP to SNA, Personal Communications provides industry-standard solutions to help extend your investments into the future.
- Extensive language support
Personal Communications is multilingual. Available in 22 languages, it includes double-byte character set (DBCS) languages, supports the euro sign, and includes extensive keyboard and code-page support.
- Microsoft certification
The Designed for Microsoft Windows XP certification helps ensure that Personal Communications can take advantage of the new features in Windows XP, and that Personal Communications has been extensively tested to meet Microsoft XP quality standards.
- SNA over IP backbone
Through the use of Enterprise Extender in Personal Communications, you can maintain the integrity of SNA LU6.2, Common Programming Interface for Communications (CPI-C), APPC and LU0 applications over an IP network, enabling these applications to run unchanged even as the network changes. Everything is handled at the end points, and the routers forward the IP packets as if they were native IP applications.
Easy ordering—CD-ROM package options
Personal Communications is available only by purchasing IBM Host Access Client Package or IBM WebSphere Host Integration Solution. To simplify ordering and installation, Personal Communications is packaged on a single CD-ROM for 3270, 5250 and VT environments.
