# LAN Manager

> discontinued Microsoft networking operating system

**Wikidata**: [Q888073](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q888073)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LAN_Manager)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/lan-manager

## Summary
LAN Manager was a network operating system developed by Microsoft and 3Com, first released in 1987. Designed to facilitate the management and operation of local area networks (LANs), the software is now discontinued. It is also recognized for functioning as an authentication protocol.

## Key Facts
*   **Classification:** Network operating system and authentication protocol.
*   **Developers:** Microsoft and 3Com.
*   **Initial Release:** 1987.
*   **Status:** Discontinued.
*   **License:** Proprietary.
*   **Final Version:** Version 2.2a (released in 1994).
*   **Aliases:** Microsoft LAN Manager, LAN-Manager.
*   **Publisher Series:** Part of software series Q189794.

## FAQs
### Q: What exactly was LAN Manager used for?
A: LAN Manager was a network operating system used to run and manage local area networks (LANs). It provided the necessary software infrastructure for network connectivity and resource sharing.

### Q: Is LAN Manager still in use?
A: No, the raw description and knowledge base identify LAN Manager as a "discontinued" product. It was eventually succeeded by newer technologies.

### Q: Who created LAN Manager?
A: It was a joint development effort between Microsoft (an American multinational technology corporation) and 3Com.

## Why It Matters
LAN Manager holds a significant place in the history of enterprise computing as a foundational network operating system developed by Microsoft and 3Com. Launched in 1987, it represented a critical step in the evolution of local area network management, providing businesses with the proprietary tools needed to connect computers and share resources efficiently during the early days of widespread business networking.

Although it is now discontinued (with its last version, 2.2a, released in 1994), the system established precedents for network authentication and file sharing protocols that influenced subsequent Microsoft server technologies. Its development coincided with the rapid expansion of the technology industry, leveraging the growing infrastructure of companies like Microsoft, which had been founded just over a decade prior. LAN Manager serves as a historical marker for the era when dedicated network operating systems were essential for office connectivity.

## Notable For
*   **Dual Classification:** Uniquely categorized as both a network operating system and an authentication protocol.
*   **Joint Development:** Notable for being co-developed by Microsoft and 3Com, distinct from later Microsoft-only server products.
*   **Legacy:** Representing an early iteration of Microsoft's enterprise networking strategy before the dominance of Windows Server.
*   **Specific Versioning:** Maintaining a detailed version history ending with 2.2a in 1994.

## Body
### Overview and Development
LAN Manager is a discontinued network operating system. Development involved a partnership between **Microsoft**—the American multinational technology corporation founded on April 4, 1975—and **3Com**. The project inception is recorded as **1987**.

Microsoft, headquartered in Redmond, United States, utilized LAN Manager as a key offering in its early portfolio of software for the technology and software development industries. The system operated under a **proprietary license**.

### Technical Specifications
As a network operating system, LAN Manager provided the software necessary for running local area networks.
*   **Platform:** The software was designed for platform Q182933.
*   **Version History:** The recorded final version of the software is **2.2a**, which was published in **1994**.
*   **Authentication:** Beyond operating system capabilities, the entity is also defined as an **authentication protocol**, indicating its role in network security and access control.

### Identifiers and Localization
The software is referenced in multiple international contexts, with Wikipedia entries available in languages including English, German (de), French (fr), Japanese (ja), and Russian (ru), among others.
*   **Wikidata ID:** Q10518 (via YSO ID).
*   **Freebase ID:** /m/0489mn.
*   **Microsoft Academic IDs:** 64078978, 193919947.

## References

1. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
2. YSO-Wikidata mapping project