From...

January 14, 2000
Web posted at: 12:34 p.m. EST (1734 GMT)

by Dan Neel

(IDG) -- Hewlett-Packard on Wednesday announced that it has solved the interoperability problem between its version of Unix and Microsoft's Windows platforms, with the release of the HP CIFS/9000 -- or Common Interest File System for HP-UX 11 -- which offers integration between these environments.

The inability to successfully share files between HP's HP-UX platform and the widely used Windows OS has created problems for IT personnel responsible for networks with mixed operating environment.

The Hewlett-Packard CIFS/9000 for HP-UX 11 reads the Microsoft CIFS -- which has been the Microsoft standard for remote file access since Windows 95 -- and integrates Windows into the HP-UX 11 environment. CIFS/9000 is also compatible with Windows 2000, according to HP officials who have assured customers that they will be able to upgrade their Windows environment without having to reconfigure their networks.

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"One of the primary attractions to deploying CIFS/9000 is the ability to decommission other distributed file systems, leaving IT staff with less complex environments to manage," said Al Gillen, an analyst at International Data Corp., in Framingham, Mass., in a statement.

CIFS/9000 client and server products for HP-UX 11 are expected to be available for download from HP by February 2000, with a CD format ready the following March, HP officials said. Pricing information was yet not released.