Resellers put System Commander software utility on GSA schedule

System Commander a widely used consumer software utility that allows users to run multiple operating systems on a single desktop is now available for government buyers.

V Communications Inc. the maker of System Commander last week negotiated General Services Administration schedule contracts with Government Technology Services Inc. and GE Capital. Both companies will offer System Commander for $66.45 a significant discount off the retail price of $99.95. A 10-pack will cost $472 on the schedule while the retail price is $499.

"Everyone thinks of this as a consumer product " said Tom Towry corporate accounts manager for V Communications Inc. "Now we're setting up the infrastructure for the government market."

System Commander is a 3-year-old software utility that allows users to run any Intel Corp.-based operating system including DOS Windows 3.1 Windows 95 Windows NT OS/2 and Unix. The software now in Version 3.0 takes up less than 1M of disk space and does not affect application performance officials said. It also features password protection and prevents booting off a floppy disk.

Towry expects the software to be popular in the government because so many agencies are migrating legacy systems and applications to newer hardware and operating system platforms.

"Lots of software that was written for DOS and Windows 3.1 doesn't work under Windows 95 " Towry said. "This product lets you run your old applications on a new computer."