FarStone Technology announced the release of VirtualDrive 8.0 Network Edition, the next version of the CD/DVD-ROM emulator software that enables businesses and educational institutions to share CD/DVD-ROM images with students or employees over a network. VirtualDrive Network 8.0, which is available for purchase at www.farstone.com or through a FarStone sales representative, has added new CD/DVD-ROM burning capabilities in addition to its CD/DVD-ROM emulation features. The new features include:

* Password protection for VCDs (optional)
* Copy an entire VCD to a writable CD
* Erase a writable CD/DVD
* Burn multiple copies of CDs
* Data integrity check after recording

The VirtualDrive Network 5-User license is $299.95. The 10-User license is $599.00. The 25-User license is $1,199.00. For more than 25 users, please contact a FarStone sales representative at 1-888-288-8188.

When you insert a disc into the drive and click Build VCD, the contents of the CD are transferred to a file that can be compressed to save space. Do this with as many CDs as you want, and then choose an image to mount. The image appears as though the CD-ROM were actually in the drive. VCD resources can be shared across a network and controlled from a single workstation.