August 20, 2002

In this edition of Synerg-E-News: dabs.com, the UK's leading Internet retailer of IT and technology products, wins 2002 UK Online for Business Award; Attention OpenVMS and Tru64 Unix customers: Check out HP/Compaq's roadmaps; Web-enable your Synergy applications with a jumpstart from Synergex; and more!

Click here to read the Web version of Synerg-E-News.

Synergy/DE™ Customer Dabs.com Wins 2002 UK Online for Business Award
The team at dabs.com (Dabs) is celebrating after scooping the "Best e-Business" title in the Northwest region finals of the UK Online for Business e-Commerce Awards 2002. They were also highly commended in the same category at the national level. With a back-end based completely on Synergy/DE™ 7.5, this Internet retailer of IT and technology products offers over 34,000 lines from the world's leading manufacturers to over half a million online customers across the country. Servicing all of the United Kingdom from their state-of-the-art facility in Bolton, Dabs typically processes 5,000 customer orders every day from the 850,000 unique visitors that visit dabs.com each month.

Read the press release in its entirety.

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HP/Compaq Roadmap
To OpenVMS and Tru64 UNIX customers: HP plans to sell Alpha systems through 2006, and support those systems through 2011. HP also plans to move OpenVMS to Itanium, and transition Tru64 UNIX customers to HP-UX. If you have not yet reviewed HP's product roadmaps, click here to get up-to-date.

Synergex customers, you can feel confident knowing that no matter what migration path you decide to take with HP/Compaq, we will have a solution to guide you.

Tru64 customers: You may also be interested in an upcoming WebCast offered by HP on August 22: "HP-UX and Tru64 UNIX - A Side by Side Comparison." Click here for more information and to register. Enter your e-mail address and the key word "tru64unix".

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Is Microsoft .NET in You Future Product Plans?
If so, please provide us with some input. We are developing xfNetLink .NET, which will enable you to develop and deploy Synergy .NET components (assemblies) that can be used to call remote Synergy routines from a .NET front-end. We plan to support the development and deployment of these components on Windows 2000 and Windows XP only. (Microsoft supports .NET development on 2000/XP only.) If you expect your requirements to include the need to deploy these components on other Windows platforms (98, Me, or NT), please let us know.

For more information about xfNetLink .NET see the Synergy/DE 7.5.3 fact sheet.

Thank you for your input!

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When Will You Get Your Synergy Applications to the Web in a Real-Time Interactive Environment?
Let Synergex give you a jumpstart. Within 5 days, with Synergex's Passport to the Web, you will be well on your way to a Web-enabled application.

What is Synergex's Passport to the Web?
Synergex's Passport to the Web is designed specifically to help you get your Synergy applications to the Web. Our program offers a unique integration of products and services that can help you transform your legacy applications to e-business applications with ease. The Passport to the Web includes the Synergy/DE products you'll need, as well as on-site customized training from an experienced Synergex consultant to help you efficiently establish your Web project and lay the groundwork for you to successfully complete the job.

Discover how it works today!

Already have a Web solution in place? Thinking about implementing a Web solution? Tell us about it — take out Web Solutions survey at — every 10th respondent gets a prize!!

The Test Skeleton Generator in Synergy/DE 7.5 Simplifies Testing Synergy Methods
You can generate test skeletons that require just a small amount of additional code to become comprehensive test programs for the methods defined in the Synergy Method Catalog (SMC). The generated code will support local and remote testing on all platforms.

The test skeleton generator makes it easy for you to test your Synergy methods. By thoroughly testing your methods before accessing them from a Java or COM-compliant client, you will eliminate problems that could be difficult and more time-consuming to debug later.

To see how easy it is to update, visit the Synergy/DE 7.5 Web site today!

Where in the World is Synergy/DE Now?
Got a craving for authentic tandoori chicken drumsticks or spicy chutney shrimp, but don't live in India?

Named the UK Exporter of the Year in 2000, Patak's Indian Foods (Patak's) is the most widely distributed Indian food brand exported outside the United Kingdom. Thanks to the Synergy/DE-based "secret recipe" system created by Gould Hall Computer Services (Gould Hall), Patak's is able to protect the authentic Indian recipes that have been in their family for years. Understandably very protective of the spice mixes they use in their products, Patak's entrusted Gould Hall to develop a custom-made system that provides the high level of security that they demand for their recipes and in the laboratories that produce their special spices. The system enables the creation of the recipes in such a manner that even if the computer system were to fall into the wrong hands, it would be impossible to make sense of this valuable data without the "key."

To check out the Indian spice rack, get some tips on preparing and serving Indian food at home, or to order some coconut cooking sauce, visit Patak's Web site.

Have an interesting story about Synergy/DE? Tell us about it! Don't worry, we'll do all the writing—just send your ideas to Liz Marmins or give her a call at +1-800-366-3472 or at +1-916-635-7300. If your story is published in Synerg-E-News, you'll receive a Synergex polo shirt!