| IF | Your organization runs, or accesses applications on one of the following platforms: |
•IBM Mainframe using 3270 terminals or terminal emulators
•IBM AS/400 or iSeries using 5250 terminals or terminal emulators
•DEC/VAX minicomputer using VT100/VT220/VT320 terminals or emulators
•UNIX / HPUX / AIX / Linux character-based applications (not X-Window or Motif)
| THEN | Inventu FVTerm Web Terminal Emulation can provide a cost effective terminal emulation solution while enabling a bridge to a better application architecture |
When Do you Use FVTerm?
As a standard Terminal Emulator For Any Device
The instant install feature, coupled with server-based administration make Inventu FVTerm Web Terminal Emulation an ideal terminal emulator for users that need to access host applications from "anywhere" without the need to install an emulator. In addition, with the concurrent licensing model, Inventu FVTerm Web Terminal Emulation is highly economical when shared by users that don't access the host computer on a regular basis, or on a peak-load basis during busy periods. In 2012, specific support was introduced for touch devices running HTML5 such as the iPad iOS Safari implementation, including a new pop-up keyboard, numeric field detection and new custom font options. Additional tablets, smartphones and other devices can easily be supported (try it and let us know, the cross-browser support will usually work OK, but we are happy to optimize for new customers).
To Integrate New and Old
Many "converged" applications involve the use of multiple technologies in the delivery of the complete application. An example would be a claims adjuster working at an insurance company. A brand-new web-driven image application provides scanned claim forms, while a traditional 3270 CICS application contains the data originally keyed from the images. With Inventu FVTerm Web Terminal Emulation, the emulator can be integrated with the image portion of the application; fields can be exchanged and shared between the two (such as claim number, or the document ID). This requires very little work, because the host screens are not being reprogrammed, but are simply being read and written whenever it makes the user's job easier or more productive.
Another example is at the server side--if a particular transaction is used to enter updates to the mainframe database, but there is a "replicated" version of the same database within a department, by capturing the information as it is entered into "the big iron", a .NET developer can replicate the data instantly instead of waiting for the (typically) overnight refresh.
As a Bridge to a Better Architecture
Character-based terminal applications have benefits for some organizations; quick deployment, familiar development and direct integration with host databases. Meanwhile, there is an ever widening gap between the richness and versatility of applications built for terminals compared to those built for web delivery or PC GUI implementation.
When compared with the rapid application development possible on the .NET platform, host-based terminal development is not only limited, but due to the strict modality of the terminal screen, it becomes inflexible over time.
If the architecture could be re factored to one where the host provided a library of web services while the front-end user interfaces were implemented utilizing the full power of the .NET development platforms that would be a very good thing. What is preventing this from happening? First, it is a huge, complex job. Second, constant business requirements continue to flow, driving change through the applications and the change must be implemented in the terminal-based applications because mission critical users are pounding-away every second at those terminals.
FVTerm can help solve both of these problems by delivering terminal emulation in a converged .NET environment. In this mode, new and/or mission critical applications can be "sliced-off" to the new architecture while the vast library of existing terminal-based applications remain untouched. We all know that huge, complex jobs are always easier to complete if implemented in small steps. By converging terminal emulation with .NET-based development (and host-based web services), for the first time in the history of terminal emulation, FVTerm can make this possible.
