Network Computers (NCs) are the visible evidence of a much larger sea change that is occurring in the way enterprise systems will be designed, deployed and managed in the 21st century.

Within this context, NC could really mean "New Computer." A new multi-client report, "The Enterprise Network Computer, Market Opportunity or Illusion," published and now available from Network Computer Business Group (NCBG) describes the advent of the fourth wave of computing.

NCBG's report provides extensive support for the concept that existing PC based client/server systems are an inherently unmanageable form of enterprise computing. The emphasis tends to be on the creation of islands of intellectual property that are loosely linked to the enterprise. My computer. My files. My intellectual property. The operator is charged with the operation of a device that has the processing power of a mainframe. And unfortunately, all of its problems: administration, file management, system failures, software, maintenance. The works. You name it. Either the operator or the support group has to fix it.

"And the productivity argument doesn't wash," according to report author Ron Cooke. "Most operators are expected to learn and retain more knowledge about the use of their PC than they will ever get back in productivity benefits. Even if they eventually learn to use their PCs with some level of finesse, they do so with the knowledge that the machine they have labored so long to understand is obsolete."

By contrast, 21st Century network architectures create a new reality. The NCBG report foresees an era when distributed systems management works, when the components of the network are stable, are known (or can be discovered), have not been altered by the operator (or anyone else) and are "clean" (no virus). There will be a trusted relationship between the network and the client. A server will be able to discover the capabilities and identity of the attached NC. It will then automatically allocate the type and level of service required to support the application. Applets will be used to deliver application specific services.

Network Computers can provide the human interface to immense network centric opportunities driven by content, services, and application options. "This is not the traditional PC architecture of loosely linked islands," commented Chuck McLaughlin, president of NCBG. "Legacy PC based client server technology is obsolete. It is much too complex, expensive, and unreliable." To survive, the PC must be redesigned to match the operating requirements of 21st Century networks.

NCBG's report points out that the desktops of the 21st Century are essentially embedded systems. They are tools for communication and information processing. The hardware is reliable. NC operations are predictable. System functions and software never get in the operator's way. The best operating system for the Intranet desktop environment is the one you don't know is there.

Competition among network centric hardware and software developers has stimulated the emergence of new architectures. This process of innovation will continue into the next century. The NC has become the vehicle for creating new desktop technology. Perhaps NC really does mean New Computer.

For more information on the report, including a full description and table of contents, check out www.ncbg.com . The report is now available through Chuck McLaughlin at NCBG for $2,950. He can be reached by telephone: 415/323-7165, by FAX: 415/323-7744, or by e-mail: chuck@ncbg.com.