Channel News

GTSI and Microsoft Introduce Office '97

Government Technology Services Inc., Chantilly, Va., and Microsoft Corp., Redmond, Wash., introduced Office '97 to the federal government marketplace Dec. 17.

The companies are touting Office '97 as the first suite that fully integrates the ease of intelligent applications with the power of the World Wide Web. The software also incorporates new versions of each component of the Office Suite, including Word, Excel, the PowerPoint presentation graphics program and Access. Office '97 also introduces a new member of the Office Suite, Microsoft Outlook, a new hub for desktop communications, integrating e-mail, scheduling, contacts, tasks and access to documents to help users organize and share information.

Cisco and Frontier Forge Strategic Alliance

Cisco Systems Inc., San Jose, Calif., has formed a strategic alliance that designates Frontier Software Inc., Chelmsford, Mass., as its primary vendor for RMON-based technologies. Joint development and deployment of Frontier products and technologies with selected Cisco products will be expanded under this pact.

Cisco's Workgroup Business Unit and Frontier have had a marketing and development relationship since 1994. In January 1995 the two companies jointly developed and introduced embedded RMON for Cisco's Catalyst 1200 switch, the industry's first implementation of embedded RMON instrumentation for LAN switches. In 1996 Cisco unveiled its TrafficDirector and SwitchProbe products, based on Frontier's RMON technology, to provide network management solutions for switched LAN environments.

SpaceWorks Launches Channel Partner Program

SpaceWorks Inc., Rockville, Md., has begun a new channel partner program, a nationwide marketing framework for creating partnerships with value-added resellers, systems integrators, service providers and agents to expand the sales of electronic commerce software.

SpaceWorks will launch its new program with the signing of Pointes Technology Group Inc., Landover, Md., a value-
added reseller and full-service systems integrator with clients including Digital Equipment Corp., Hughes Aircraft, IBM Corp., Northrop Grumman Corp. and Government Technology Services Inc.

TRT Initiates VAR Program

Telephone Response Technologies Inc., Roseville, Calif., introduced a value-added reseller program for its newest product, CommPoint. The program is designed to provide resellers with product education, marketing leverage, discounts on products, training and support necessary for successful promotion and sales of CommPoint to their clients.

CommPoint, TRT's Windows NT-based communication server product, was introduced this fall. The product is offered with turnkey voice mail and auto attendant module CP/Mail.

-Matt Hines

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