1.   American companies that have endorsed the plan include Cisco Systems Inc., the dominant maker of Internet hub computers, Sun Microsystems Inc., and Silicon Graphics International.

2.   IBM is also working on specialized hub computers, or servers, that have the software needed to act as a translator for users.

3.   That business also includes applications that run on hub computers, or servers, like its data-base product, Microsoft SQL Server.

4.   The hub computer must be on for the others to share resources.