Client/server computing has evolved from concept to reality at a surprising number of companies, mainly because of the convergence of three key technologies.
LAN servers, database-management systems (DBMSs) and high-speed networks — the client/server building blocks — have matured enough in the past year to give companies the confidence they need to erect new computing architectures, according to industry analysts.
These technologies have converged so quickly that even some analysts have been surprised by the client/server wave. In a recent study, Cambridge, Mass., market researcher Forrester Research Inc. found that 69 percent of Fortune 1000 companies now use server databases, compared with only 26 percent a year ago (see chart …