Hydra short of key parts

Microsoft has introduced the first beta version of its multi-user Windows technology, with companies such as NCD, Wyse and Tektronix providing connectable thin client devices.

Windows-based Terminal Server, formerly codenamed Hydra, will ship this week to 1,000 beta testers. However, the product is still missing key components.

The main component is a special version of handheld operating system Windows CE 2, which is the primary client. When it becomes available, this version will include the T-Share protocol, used to run Windows applications remotely. Microsoft partners said they were still waiting for Microsoft to ship the operating system and the protocol.

John Frederiksen, lead product manager for Microsoft's business systems division, said T-Share was ready, and T-Share versions for W95 and Windows for Workgroups are included with the first beta.

The Windows CE version is not yet ready. T-Share is also lacking key features such as support for streaming audio or the ability to use local devices such as printers on a T-Share client. One Microsoft partner said: 'Microsoft still hasn't decided on its functionality.'

Microsoft has instead shown Hydra being accessed by a number of different operating systems and using the ICA protocol from Citrix.

Hydra was accessed via its Picasso add-on, which was also introduced last week. Picasso adds ICA support to Hydra, as well as a number of manageability features missing from the Microsoft product, such as centralised management of multiple servers and the management of applications.

Hydra and Picasso are based on technology from Citrix' product Winframe, a multi-user Windows server running on top of Windows NT 3.51.

Microsoft selected Winframe as the basis for its Hydra server, but chose to use T-Share and not Citrix ICA as the main protocol - despite the hundreds of thousands of ICA-based terminals already installed with their customers.