Recently Software MarkTech Foundation released the SLS data on the software popularity market and other research. All the data based on all possible software market gatherings. Multiple white papers were submitted on this issue indicating the list of the most popular softwares on the market.

Over 2, 304, 123 estimates have been given on this research. Linux-based solutions dominate considerably over the Unix –based and Windows-based will grow by 50 % in 2009 . A special attention (and this article as well) was given to Serial Port Mapper solution which is claimed to triple its leads by 10 %. An increasing demand in serial port products defines the software market. In this article we will outline a general sketch of what Serial Port Mapper is. Serial Port Mapper is a windows-based solution which allows to map any serial port to any new port name. In other words, it allows to create aliases for serial ports.

For example, a person installs additional serial port expansion card to computer as COM5 serial port. But his/her favorite software can work with COM1...COM4 ports only and cannot be reconfigured to work with COM5. To resolve this problem one needs to map COM5 port to COM1 port. As a result, a software can open COM1 port but actually work with COM5 port. Serial Port Mapper functionality can be easily integrated into any other application. So serial ports can be mapped and swapped from any application directly.

USB over Network is both Windows- and Linux-based solution allowing to work with the remote USB devices over a local network or Internet as if they were connected directly to a local PC. Usually, when a person needs to use any USB device (like scanner, flash-memory, etc) he/she plugs it into USB port of his/her computer. But for all that, the device is accessible only for the computer it is plugged into.

And what if someone else needs to use the same USB device? The problem was resolved in a different extraordinary way. USB over Network allows to work with remote USB devices over a local network or Internet. To do that USB over Network Server is to be installed on the PC where USB devices are plugged in. USB over Network Client must be installed on the PCs a person wants to give access to those very USB devices he/she has already plugged in. That's all. USB over Network Client is a free software. The solution is very simple, any user which has installed USB over Network Client can work with remote USB devices as if they were connected directly to his/her local PC.