
                                                              WORKGROUP SEGMENT
                                                  VISUALIZER FAMILY OF PRODUCTS
                                                          MAY 1994 ANNOUNCEMENT
                                                          QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS


                                                                       07/11/94



  NOTES TO READERS
  ________________

  GENERAL

  This document provides additional insight about the Visualizer family of pro-
  ducts forming part of the Data Management segment announcements highlighted
  on May 24th 1994. In some instances comments about acknowledged product
  requirements are made.  It is important to exercise judgement in the way this
  information may be used in a customer situation.  No formal commitments to
  meet these requirements are being made.  Nor is any commitment being made to
  accept or reject the requirement for future consideration.



  CONTENTS
  ________

  VISUALIZER FAMILY OF PRODUCTS
  General
  Operating System Environment
  Database Access
  Integration
  Technology
  Pricing / Terms and Conditions
  Marketing
  Positioning with Existing IBM Products



  VISUALIZER FAMILY OF PRODUCTS
  _____________________________


  GENERAL
  _______

  Q1:  WHAT IS VISUALIZER ?

  A1:  Visualizer is software designed to link decision makers with information
  that can help them understand their business and respond more rapidly to
  market changes and opportunities.  The Visualizer family consists of modules
  that enable business professionals to easily query, analyze and present data.

  Q2:  WHAT ARE THE VISUALIZER MODULES AND WHEN WILL THEY BE AVAILABLE ?

  A2:  The core module, Visualizer Query, is available on AIX in June 1994 and
  OS/2 in August 1994.  The additional modules enhance the query function and
  will be available for OS/2 as follows:

        +-------------------------+-----------------+
        | Visualizer Charts       | August 1994     |
        +-------------------------+-----------------+
        | Visualizer Development  | August 1994     |
        +-------------------------+-----------------+
        | Visualizer Procedures   | September 1994  |
        +-------------------------+-----------------+
        | Visualizer Ultimedia    | September 1994  |
        | Query                   |                 |
        +-------------------------+-----------------+
        | Visualizer Statistics   | September 1994  |
        +-------------------------+-----------------+
        | Visualizer Plans        | September 1994  |
        +-------------------------+-----------------+

  We would expect to provide AIX module support in the future.


  OPERATING SYSTEM ENVIRONMENT
  ____________________________

  Q3:  WHAT NON-IBM OPERATING SYSTEMS WILL VISUALIZER BE AVAILABLE ON ?

  A3:  IBM has announced a statement of direction for Visualizer Windows
  support.  Visualizer Query for Windows is intended to be available by the
  first half of 1995 and we would expect to provide the add-on modules in the
  future.

  Q4:  WHY WAS AIX/6000 CHOSEN AS THE FIRST OPERATING SYSTEM FOR VISUALIZER ?

  A4:  The Visualizer core technology for AIX and OS/2 are essentially the
  same. In the development process of the core technology, the AIX version was
  completed first, therefore it will be the first available version of
  Visualizer Query.

  Q5:  HOW WILL VISUALIZER USERS BENEFIT FROM THE OS/2 WORKPLACE SHELL ?

  A5:  The ease-of-use characteristics inherent in the OS/2 Workplace Shell
  environment will improve user productivity.  These characteristics include
  object oriented support and drag/drop technology which reduce the number of
  steps required to perform functions.

  Q6:  WILL VISUALIZER SUPPORT WORKPLACE OS AND THE POWER PC?

  A6:  Yes, Visualizer is expected to support both over time.


  DATABASE ACCESS
  _______________

  Q7:  WHY HAS IBM CHOSEN TO FOCUS ON DB2 DATA ACCESS FOR THE FIRST RELEASE OF
  VISUALIZER ?

  A7:  Visualizer has been optimized for access to IBM's robust relational
  database family, DB2.  This design provides access to distributed relational
  data anywhere in the organization through technology such as DRDA (Distrib-
  uted Relational Database Architecture).

  Q8:  WHICH NON-IBM DATABASES WILL VISUALIZER BE ABLE TO ACCESS AND WHEN ?

  A8:  The next release of Visualizer, announced for First Customer Ship (FCS)
  in October 1994, will provide access to non-IBM relational databases such as
  Oracle and Sybase.


  INTEGRATION
  ___________

  Q9:  DOES VISUALIZER HAVE A NATURAL SYNERGY WITH OTHER IBM PRODUCTS ?

  A9:  Visualizer has been designed to work with the DB2 family as its data-
  base. In addition, Visualizer works with the functions provided by Dataguide,
  a data cataloging tool that helps users pinpoint and manage data.  This com-
  bination delivers a powerful solution to help users access the information
  they need to make important business decisions.

  To ensure Visualizer can take advantage of their existing host-based query
  and analysis applications, Visualizer will work with IBM's QMF* (Query Man-
  agement Facility), and AS (Application System).

  Q10:  WILL VISUALIZER INTEGRATE WITH PERSONAL PRODUCTIVITY TOOLS FROM OTHER
  VENDORS ?

  A10:  Users have a variety of productivity tools from other vendors that they
  will want to use in conjunction with Visualizer.  Therefore, Visualizer sup-
  ports industry standards such as DDE (Dynamic Data Exchange) to interface
  with spreadsheets and word processors.  Communication with e-mail is enabled
  via the VIM (Vendor Independent Messaging) interface.

  Q11:  WILL VISUALIZER EXCHANGE DATA WITH LOTUS NOTES?

  A11:  Through import/export functions, data exchange is possible with Lotus
  Notes through tabular text data format.

  With Visualizer Development, users can take advantage of the Lotus Notes C
  APIs to gain direct access to the Lotus Notes datastore.

  Additional points of integration are under active consideration.


  TECHNOLOGY
  __________

  Q12:  IS VISUALIZER AN OBJECT ORIENTED TECHNOLOGY ?

  A12:  Yes. Visualizer modules appear as powerful objects on the OS/2 desktop.
  This object implementation provides an exceptionally easy-to-use, flexible
  end-user interface.  Operations can be performed with a few mouse clicks -
  for example, printing is as simple as dragging a report or chart object and
  dropping it onto the printer object.

  Q13:  HOW DOES VISUALIZER RELATE TO IBM'S SOM (SYSTEM OBJECT MODEL) TECH-
  NOLOGY ?

  A13:  Visualizer Version 1.0 uses SOM function to integrate with the OS/2
  Version 2 Workplace Shell.

  Q14:  WILL VISUALIZER SUPPORT MULTI MEDIA DATA FORMATS?

  A14:  Yes. Visualizer, via IBM Visualizer Ultimedia Query, enables users to
  access images, video, audio and documents in addition to traditional rela-
  tional data from the desktop. Searches will be enabled via Query by Image
  Content (QBIC), on the basis of color, texture and the shape of items.


  PRICING / TERMS AND CONDITIONS
  ______________________________

  Q15:  HOW MUCH WILL THE VISUALIZER FAMILY MODULES COST ?

  A15:  The list prices, at quantity of one, for the Visualizer family in the
  OS/2 environment are:

        +--------------------------+--------------+
        | Visualizer Query         | 199 dollars  |
        +--------------------------+--------------+
        | Visualizer Charts        |  75 dollars  |
        +--------------------------+--------------+
        | Visualizer Procedures    | 125 dollars  |
        +--------------------------+--------------+
        | Visualizer Development   | 995 dollars  |
        +--------------------------+--------------+
        | Visualizer Ultimedia     | 270 dollars  |
        | Query                    |              |
        +--------------------------+--------------+
        | Visualizer Statistics    | 250 dollars  |
        +--------------------------+--------------+
        | Visualizer Plans         | 250 dollars  |
        +--------------------------+--------------+

  Visualizer Query for OS/2 will be packaged with DB2/2 (single user) at the
  price of 549 dollars.

  Visualizer Query for AIX/6000 is based on the number of concurrent users.
  The entry price for two concurrent users is 700 dollars.  As the number of
  users increases, the price per user decreases resulting in an average price
  per user of 300 dollars.

  Prices will decrease with quantity across the Visualizer family.

  Q16:  WILL THERE BE ANY INCENTIVES FOR USERS OF QUERY MANAGER TO PURCHASE
  VISUALIZER ?

  A16:  Yes. To encourage DB2/2 Query Manager customers to purchase Visualizer
  Query, we are offering a preferential price of $99, at quantity of one.

  Q17:  WILL THERE BE ANY CHARGE FOR CUSTOMERS TO MOVE FROM VISUALIZER QUERY
  VERSION 1.0 TO VERSION 1.1 WHEN IT IS AVAILABLE THIS FALL ?

  A17:  No. The upgrade from Visualizer Query Version 1.0 to Version 1.1 will
  be free of charge.


  MARKETING
  _________

  Q18:  WHY SHOULD A USER CHOOSE VISUALIZER OVER THE VARIETY OF COMPETITIVE
  QUERY AND REPORTING TOOLS THAT ARE AVAILABLE IN THE MARKETPLACE TODAY ?

  A18:  Visualizer has been designed to work effectively in a distributed rela-
  tional database environment. When combined with Visualizer's exceptional
  ease-of-use, due to its object oriented technology, we believe Visualizer
  will provide the powerful query and reporting customers want in an enterprise
  data environment.

  Additionally, Visualizer offers users comprehensive, modular software with
  breadth of function from query to sophisticated analysis and development.
  This modularity allows users to buy only what they need and assures compat-
  ibility and scalability between the Visualizer modules.

  Q19:  WHO ARE THE TARGET END-USERS FOR VISUALIZER ?

  A19:  Visualizer was designed with the business professional in mind.  It's
  ease-of-use makes it an ideal solution for everyone with access to relational
  data. This would include marketing, sales, financial and customer service
  professionals.  With the add-on Visualizer Development, more technical pro-
  fessionals can customize the Visualizer working environment and create pow-
  erful application objects.

  Q20:  ARE ANY CUSTOMERS CURRENTLY USING VISUALIZER?

  A20:  We are working with customers and business partners through our Cus-
  tomer Validation Program.  Through this program, both AIX and OS/2 versions
  of Visualizer are installed in a number of customer sites around the world.
  At this point in time, however, we are not at liberty to provide specific
  customer information.

  Q21:  IS VISUALIZER PACKAGED WITH ANY OTHER IBM PRODUCTS ?

  A21:  Yes. It is packaged with the single user version of DB2/2 to provide
  users a powerful database and query solution.


  POSITIONING WITH EXISTING IBM PRODUCTS
  ______________________________________

  Q22:  HOW DOES VISUALIZER DIFFER FROM PERSONAL AS/2 ?

  A22:  The two products look similar due to their common use of the Workplace
  Shell. However, Visualizer is designed to directly access DB2 and provides
  objects that deal directly with relational SQL relational data.

  With Visualizer, Personal AS/2 modules have been enhanced and new data anal-
  ysis function is added with Visualizer Statistics and Visualizer Plans.
  Visualizer Ultimedia Query also provides new multimedia technology at the
  desktop.

  The increased modularity of Visualizer offers the user a broader range of
  options at a lower price.

  Q23:  WILL A CUSTOMER'S PERSONAL AS/2 INVESTMENT BE PROTECTED WHEN THEY MOVE
  TO VISUALIZER ?

  A23:  Yes. All Personal AS/2 objects are fully migratable to Visualizer
  objects. To support customers wanting to take advantage of the new function
  in Visualizer, we are offering a promotional upgrade.

  Q24:  WHAT BENEFITS WILL AS AND QMF INTEGRATION PROVIDE AND WHEN WILL THAT
  CAPABILITY BE AVAILABLE FOR VISUALIZER ?

  A24:  AS and QMF are host based applications that provide robust query and
  analysis functions for large datasets.  Their integration with Visualizer
  extends the power of AS and QMF resources to the OS/2 workstation environ-
  ment.

  Users will be able to pull down this data directly from the host onto their
  Visualizer desktop for reporting, analysis and presentation.

  AS and QMF integration is scheduled for November 1994 availability.

  Q25:  WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN VISUALIZER ULTIMEDIA QUERY AND
  ULTIMEDIA MANAGER PRODUCTS ?

  A25:  Ultimedia Query is a query tool and part of the IBM Visualizer family
  of products.  It brings multimedia data types to the user, who can do image
  queries by using query by image content (QBIC) techniques in addition to
  queries against traditional data types.

  The Ultimedia Manager is an image classification and query tool that is used
  to create catalogs of images so that they can be searched according to color,
  texture, shape and layout.  Ultimedia Query and Ultimedia Manager both
  contain the industry- leading IBM technology which allows this content- based
  query capability.

  Each product appeals to a different customer set:

  o   Ultimedia Query appeals to business professionals who want to extend
      their databases to include multimedia objects but do not necessarily want
      to create the image catalogs.

  o   Ultimedia Manager appeals to image professionals who are familiar with
      the problems associated with archival, storage and retrieval of images.
      These customers have the knowledge and skill to take advantage of the
      capabilities provided by Ultimedia Manager to create catalogs of images
      classified according to color, texture, shape and layout.

  Q26:  HOW DO VISUALIZER AND VISUALAGE DIFFER?

  A26:  Both products are object oriented and were designed to satisfy two dif-
  ferent market requirements: Visualizer for End User Data Access (EUDA) and
  VisualAge for Application Development.

  Visualizer satisfies the query, reporting and analysis requirements of busi-
  ness professionals and customization functions are designed for the technical
  professional.

  VisualAge as an application development tool, delivers a Small Talk based
  technology with support for application developers working in a team-based
  environment.

  We expect to provide the capability to use Visualizer objects with VisualAge.

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