Mentat is the computer industry's leading provider of high-performance, kernel-level networking software. Emphasizing both portability and efficiency, Mentat delivers highly reliable and maintainable software with unmatched performance. Mentat has developed its reputation for high quality software by attracting an extremely talented and dedicated staff of protocol and operating system software engineers averaging over twenty years programming experience.

Mentat's core products include portable source code implementations of TCP/IP, STREAMS, and XTP networking standards, as well as the SkyX Gateway system designed to allow high performance Internet access over satellites. Mentat has licensed its software to over fifty computer and embedded operating system vendors and developers throughout North America, Europe, and Japan, including:

Apple
Digital Equipment
Hewlett-Packard
IBM
Motorola
Novell
Sony
Sun Microsystems
Wind River Systems
Xerox

Based in Los Angeles, California, Mentat was incorporated in 1987 and is entirely employee owned. The company has been consistently profitable every year since 1988.

 

SkyX Gateway

Satellites are ideal vehicles for transmitting Internet and intranet data over long distances, especially to regions of the world with insufficient terrestrial communications infrastructure. However, restrictions inherent in the design of TCP when used in long latency, high loss, asymmetric bandwidth conditions limit the throughput available over satellite networks to a fraction of the available bandwidth. Mentat has overcome these limitations with the development of the SkyX Gateway system which transparently converts TCP traffic to a protocol optimized for transmission over the satellite.

 

The SkyX Gateway system offers dramatically improved throughput over satellite links without requiring any changes to the TCP/IP stacks on either the clients or servers, thereby providing a transparent, efficient solution for Internet and intranet access over satellites. Mentat offers both the SkyX Gateway XR10 hardware solution for use with off-the-shelf hardware or on existing networks, and the SkyX Gateway software for integration with satellite modems, VSATs, and other satellite connectivity hardware.

 

Mentat TCP

Mentat TCP is a high-performance, fully compliant, STREAMS-based implementation of the TCP/IP protocol suite. On-going testing demonstrates that Mentat TCP delivers performance far beyond that of other implementations of TCP/IP while also providing the highest levels of functionality, scalability, reliability, and maintainability. The feature-rich code is 64-bit compatible and includes advanced features such as IPv6, IP Security (IPSec), IP multicast, and large windows.

Mentat TCP has been integrated as the native TCP/IP in many of the leading operating systems including Hewlett-Packard HP-UX 11 and Apple Mac OS. Originally written for Sun Microsystems, Mentat TCP forms the base of the native TCP/IP stack on Solaris. In addition, Mentat TCP has been ported to a wide variety of computer and real time operating systems including Linux, Microsoft Windows NT, Wind River VxWorks, SCO UnixWare, and other operating systems.

 

Mentat Portable Streams (MPS)

Mentat Portable Streams is the leading portable implementation of the industry standard STREAMS infrastructure. MPS offers unmatched performance, innovative multiprocessor support, and full SVR4 compatibility. STREAMS provides an efficient, standards-based development and run-time environment for networking protocols, device and terminal drivers, and other kernel-level I/O facilities, allowing incorporation of any STREAMS-based transport or link-layer protocol stack. Designed for easy portability, MPS is the native STREAMS on Apple Mac OS, Novell NetWare, Wind River VxWorks, Hewlett Packard HP-UX, IBM AIX, Digital UNIX, and many other leading computer and embedded operating systems. Mentat also produces a binary version of MPS for Windows NT.

 

Mentat XTP

Mentat XTP is the leading commercial implementation of the Xpress Transport Protocol. XTP is designed specifically to embrace high-speed networks and offers a level of performance not possible with other protocols, especially over large latency or high loss links. The XTP protocol also offers unique features and flexibility including rate control and reliable multicast functionality. Mentat XTP is a high-performance, STREAMS-based, kernel-level implementation of XTP, available in source code form on a variety of popular platforms.

 

Mentat is incorporated in California.

Xerox and Mentat sign a development agreement for XNS on SVR3 UNIX.

 

1988

Novell licenses Mentat Portable Streams for incorporation in NetWare. MPS is shipped with every copy of NetWare from version 3.x.

Mentat posts the first in its unbroken streak of profitable years.

 

1989

Open Software Foundation licenses MPS for OSF/1 UNIX. MPS becomes an integral component of UNIX operating systems from Digital, HP, and IBM.

 

1990

Sun Microsystems signs a development agreement with Mentat to create a STREAMS-based TCP/IP stack for Solaris.

Mentat adds SVR4 support to Mentat Portable Streams.

 

1991

Mentat moves to its current location in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. In 1993, Mentat doubles the size of its facility.

 

1993

Motorola licenses MPS and Mentat TCP for Motorola's SVR4 UNIX systems. By replacing the native SVR4 code, Motorola realizes dramatically improved performance along with increased multiprocessor scalability and reliability.

 

1995

Apple ships Open Transport incorporating MPS and Mentat TCP.

Mentat demonstrate IPv6 functionality on Macintosh and Windows NT at Networld+Interop.

TriTech is named distributor of Mentat products in Japan.

 

1996

Wind River Systems offers WindNet Streams, a native port of MPS on VxWorks.

 

1997

Hewlett-Packard releases HP-UX 11 utilizing Mentat TCP as the native TCP/IP stack.

Interlink Computer Sciences releases the NetLOCK security suite. Mentat's shim technology provides a portable interface which allows NetLOCK to secure communications on a wide range of operating systems.

 

1998

Kay Guyer is named president of Mentat.

Concurrent Computer offers Mentat TCP as the native TCP/IP on PowerMax OS.

Mentat develops the SkyX Gateway, dramatically boosting the performance of Internet and intranet communications over satellite and wireless links.

Mentat releases Mentat TCP 4.0, adding IPv6 and IPSec functionality to its high performance TCP/IP stack.

 

1999

Mentat unveils the SkyX Gateway XR10, a stand-alone hardware solution for increased performance over satellite networks.

Kay Guyer co-founded Mentat in 1987. She was named President of Mentat in 1998 after having served in various capacities including Vice President of Operations and Chief Financial Officer. She has also been directly involved in product development as both a project leader and member of the technical staff. Prior to co-founding Mentat, Ms. Guyer was a software developer at Network Research Corporation where she gained experience with a wide variety of computer operating environments. Ms. Guyer holds a BS degree in Computer Science from BYU.

Jerry Toporek joined Mentat as Vice President of Engineering in 1988. With over 30 years of software development experience, Mr. Toporek is responsible for project management of existing products and the development of new technologies. He co-founded and served as Vice President of Operations at BMDP Statistical Software as well as Director of Product Development at Network Research Corporation. Mr. Toporek holds a BA in Mathematics and Statistics and an MA in Statistics, both from the University of Rochester.

DC Palter joined Mentat in 1995 as Vice President of Sales and Marketing. With an extensive background in international marketing and experience in a wide variety of high-tech industries, Mr. Palter is responsible for all of Mentat's sales and marketing activities. Previously, Mr. Palter held marketing and engineering positions at Hughes Electronics, Allied-Signal Aerospace, and Kobe Steel. Mr. Palter holds a BSME degree from Northwestern University and an MBA from the Anderson School at UCLA. Mr. Palter is also the author of a textbook on the Osaka dialect of Japanese.

Mentat is honored to be able to list the following companies as satisfied Mentat software licensees:

Anritsu
Apple Computer
CCII Systems
Concurrent
Data General
Digital Equipment Corp.
Efficient Networks
FileNET
Fujitsu Laboratories
Fujitsu Ltd.
Fuji-Xerox
Hewlett-Packard
Hughes Information Systems
IBM
ICL Retail Systems
Interlink Computer Sciences
Loral Space Information Systems
Matsushita Electric
Mitsubishi Electric
Motorola
Novell
NTT
Open Software Foundation
Packet Engines
Performance Technology
Prosoft Engineering
QMS
Rockwell Space Operations
SAIC
Software Group
Sony
Stratus
Sun Microsystems
UFO Systems
UNCL
Unisys
Wind River Systems
Xerox

For more information on Mentat products or for details on product licensing, please contact Mentat at:

Mentat Inc.
1145 Gayley Ave. Suite 315
Los Angeles, CA 90024 USA

phone: (310) 208-2650 ext. 28
toll free: 888-4MENTAT (888-463-6828)
fax: (310) 208-3724
email: info@mentat.com