Wang Laboratories Inc has entered the Computer Output to Laser Disk software market with the launch of Open/coldplus for client-server environments. Wang says the software brings large volumes of archived data directly to the desktop in seconds. Open/coldplus is designed to enable users to record documents electronically on optical disk and Wang is claiming throughput performances of 200,000 to 500,000 recorded pages an hour. Windows-based search software enables multiple users to independently retrieve, view, print, facsimile, or send via electronic mail documents from a central, on-line repository of archived data. In addition, users can export data from archived documents into a selection of Windows-based applications. Wang reckons Computer Output to Laser Disk, COLD, software is one of the fastest-growing segments of the document imaging marketplace, with spending projections of $3,000m over the next five years, and a logical extension of its work management software offerings. But the COLD market has not achieved the growth rates that were projected in the early 1990s, mainly because the systems were not perceived as high-end, high-performance ones. Wang reckons its expertise as a document management company will lend credibility when selling COLD to large organisations requiring enterprise-wide offerings. The system consists of three primary functions: data record, server-based software that automatically indexes, compresses and writes the data to magnetic and/or optical disks; data store, server-based software that manages data stored on a variety of magnetic and optical devices, including stand-alone optical drives and optical jukeboxes; and data retrieve, search and export, client-based software that enables users to search, select, display and output data. Open/coldplus is available now running on HP-UX, AIX, and Solaris Unixes with Windows 3.1 clients. Support for Novell Inc’s NetWare will be available this quarter. It is priced at $41,000 for 15 users.
