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Conference pamsrc::objectbroker_dtc

Title:ObjectBroker Desktop Connection
Moderator:RECV::STORM
Created:Mon Jan 06 1997
Last Modified:Thu Jun 05 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:40
Total number of notes:125

12.0. "DTC Overview" by A1VAX::GILFIX () Tue Jan 14 1997 17:42

The ObjectBroker Desktop Connection is Digital's fully OMG-compliant
bi-directional bridge between Microsoft ActiveX and Digital CORBA technology. 
It allows desktop users on Windows 95 and Window NT to easily integrate data,
applications, and business logic that reside on non-Microsoft platforms into
popular PC applications, including the Microsoft Explorer internet environment. 

Due out in Q4FY97, the ObjectBroker Desktop Connection (DTC) is the next 
generation OLE-CORBA connectivity that demonstrates Digital's continuing 
broad spectrum commitment to CORBA, ActiveX, and COM.  As you may recall, 
ObjectBroker's OLE Network Portal was the industry's first bridge between CORBA
and OLE.  Available as part of ObjectBroker for MS Windows V3.1, the
Portal listens for and translats OLE commands into CORBA, thereby allowing
them to be distributed off Microsoft platforms onto UNIX and VMS.  In contrast,
the OMG compliant Desktop Connection is designed to make use of superior 32-bit
Windows NT and Windows 95, allowing sophisticated and elementary desktop users
to more completely and seamlessly access the wealth of legacy applications,
data, and business logic residing on over 15 different ObjectBroker platforms
with NO additional coding.  DTC leverages highly respected bridge technology
from Canadian partner, Visual Edge Inc.  In addition, DTC provides a helpful
visualization of the remote CORBA object while also supporting OLE Automation,
COM interfaces, the use of C and C++ directly (for custom interfaces and complex
data types), and ActiveX controls (for internet access) 

There are several special features and benefits with this product, but the most
significant is its highly-automatic design.  Contrasted against competing 
technologies on the market, the ObjectBroker Desktop Connection supports OLE 
Automation directly and thus does not require the developer to program the CORBA
server to be "OLE-aware." This means the desktop developer does not need to know
CORBA nor is there any programming required.  Once the desktop developer sets up
DTC on the client, any OLE/ActiveX application running on the client is free
to use the CORBA objects available to the client.  Needless to say, this saves
time and training costs while expanding application and data integration
possibilities.  Finally, no other bridge allows customizable visual renditioning
of remote CORBA objects -- for easier desktop manipulation, supports ActiveX
Controls and ActiveX document interaction, and adheres 100% to the Object
Management Group's COM/CORBA interoperability specification. 

The ObjectBroker Desktop Connection will be sold like most PC products via a
PC-style license.  Each desktop will require a license.  To encourage wide-scale
distribution, DTC will be offerred in aggressively priced package increments.
For example, 10 licenses will cost $5000, and 50 licenses will cost only $9995. 
In contrast, less functional bridging technology from the competition requires
the purchase of CORBA development licenses at $2500 per license.  ObjectBroker
development licenses will also include a complementary Desktop Connection
license, but users have the option of buying DTC stand-alone as well.
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name		DateLines
12.1URL to DTC White PaperA1VAX::GILFIXTue Jan 14 1997 17:444
    For additional information, see the ObjectBroker Desktop Connection
    White Paper at 
    
    http://www.digital.com/info/objectbroker/product/obwp_desk.htm#top_page
12.2How does licensing work for developers?CFSCTC::HUSTONSteve HustonMon Jan 27 1997 10:589
Is DTC a developer-type product?  Do applications built using DTC
require a run-time piece to be distributed with the application?  How
does the licensing work if there is a "developer" and a "run-time" piece?

From the price ($500 a piece in quantity 10) I'm guessing that developers
pay the license and distribute the app (or ActiveX control, etc.) without
further licensing by the user.

-Steve
12.3SEND::STORMTue Jan 28 1997 14:4912
    I've forwarded this note to Dan Gilfix, our product manager, to 
    addressing.  He has been out of the office.
    
    The licenses is required for all systems.  We don't differentiate
    between a Development use and a runtime use.
    
    Dan can provide more info about how he came up with that price, but
    my understanding is that this is less than what our competitor (IONA)
    charges for their similar product.
    
    Mark,
12.4DTC priced competitive AND SOME!BOSEPM::GILFIXThu Jan 30 1997 14:0026
    Right you are, Mark.  I just got back in the office.
    DTC does not differentiate between development, runtime, client, or
    server license.  We are licensing DTC in a very very simple manner: one
    price, one PC-style (a la Microsoft) license per desktop.  Since DTC
    only runs on Win-32, we're only talking about Win95 and Windows NT
    (both Intel and Alpha).
    
    I wouldn't use $500 as the baseline price.  Our "sweet spot" is $9995
    for 50 licenses, which is less than $200 per copy.  We're hoping
    customers will think twice about paying $5000 for 10 when for another
    $5K they receive five times that amount.
    
    As far as competitive positioning is concerned, ObjectBroker Desktop
    Connection is significantly undercutting our chief competitor, Iona
    Technologies, as well as other vendors like HP.  Both vendors package
    their inferior OLE Automation-CORBA bridge in their development kit. 
    This means that every PC wanting access to remote CORBA objects needs
    to spend $2500.  Even at $500 per copy, ObjectBroker Desktop Connection
    is a bargain.  What's more, DTC users can do substantially more coding
    with these objects than Iona or HP users (see Mark's competitive
    write-up.)
    
    Some of our prospective customers are considering deployments well in
    access of 50 PC seats.  Needless to say, we've got aggressive volume
    discounts which kick-in beyond the 50-pack, making DTC extremely
    attractive both technically and from an ROI perspective.
12.5OSAV03::NOSETooru Nosse, Japan West PSC/OS2Thu Jan 30 1997 22:199
Hi, all.

As packaging haven't been written well yet, I have a question.
DTC is the bridge to OBB, right?  So does DTC bundle all or limited
pieces of OBB needed for DTC?
Or do customer have to buy OBB separately? Then pricing story will
be different...

Tooru
12.5Makes sense for in-house developer marketCFSCTC::HUSTONSteve HustonFri Jan 31 1997 12:2823
Ok, so you're going for sites who you can entice to buy a large number of
licenses at once.  Like the in-house corporate developer type.  Makes perfect
sense for that.

For me, who's more of a third-party developer who might write apps for sale,
and not in-house use, it is tough.  I now have to decide a few things:

1. Will my customers pay up $500 more than I would normally charge them, so
   I can include a DTC license?

2. If 1 is 'no', do I believe that I can safely buy, 50, or 500 DTC licenses
   up front to reduce the add-on cost?  Can I come up with $10,000 or $20,000
   up front to allow me to cut the cost?

3. Do I want to architect using some other technology?

I can understand that you're not primarily after this developer market, and I
can understand why.  But if you do decide to pursue that market, I would be
a potential customer, and the above is what I'd be thinking.

FWIW,

-Steve