Belmont, California-based middleware house Open Horizon Inc has garnered a further $6m of investment from US Venture Partners and PeopleSoft Inc in a third round of funding which brings the company’s capitalization to $10m. Open Horizon’s Connection middleware allows organizations to add support for network security services – including single sign-on, authentication and encryption – centralized directory services, transaction processing monitors and other tools across distributed computing environments. The company offers DCE security services, DCE and X.500 directory services, browser and Java connections to databases, plus support for CICS, Encina, Tuxedo, Top End, C, C++, Forte and Dynasty support. It claims to be able to tie applications, databases and security services together without changing customers existing applications. Connection is also integrated with CyberSafe Corp’s Challenger Kerberos-based security system. IBM resells Connection and Open Horizon has other joint development and marketing deals with Apple Computer Inc and Hewlett-Packard Co. PeopleSoft sells Connection with its PeopleTools rapid application toolset. Open Horizon claims to have 2,000 customers and to have doubled in size since the beginning of the year.
