Sequent, Digital Poised to Team Up on 64-bit Unix Bid
Hi Mark, I'm new to this thread and am rather unacquainted with Informixs' superstructure. Could you comment on the following story and the impact Intel could have on Informix as it evolves towards 64-bit. Will the seemingly inevitable inter-operation between NT and UNIX benefit IFMX or its low end rivals? Thanks in advance. sg
Sequent Computer Systems says it will team up with Digital Equipment to produce a 64-bit version of the Unix operating system to run on Intel's forthcoming microprocessor, code-named Merced.
The move was a blow to Sun Microsystems, which had tried to get Sequent to choose a planned version of Solaris, its proprietary Unix variant, for the 64-bit Merced chip, due out next year.
The move was the latest step in a consolidation of Unix versions that was expected to gain momentum ahead of the release of the next generation Intel processor.
A spokesman for Sequent - a maker of high-end computer systems - said the company had negotiated for months with Sun but was concerned the version of Solaris for the Intel chip would not match the performance of Solaris on Sun's own line of high-end SPARC workstations.
The collaboration between the longtime rivals is intended to create the leading Unix version on the new Intel chip and to improve Unix's ability to inter-operate with Microsoft Corp's Windows NT.
The 64-bit Unix initiative is based on Digital Unix but will add key Sequent technologies and be augmented with joint development by the two companies. As part of the initiative, Digital Unix will be renamed.
Last month, Sun Microsystems said it would develop a version of Solaris, its Unix variant, to run on the new chip.
Hewlett-Packard Co, Intel's partner in developing Merced, also would offer its own 64-bit version of Unix.
Originally developed by AT&T, Unix is produced in multiple, incompatible versions by different firms.
Microsoft's Windows NT also will run on Merced, but is a 32-bit operating system that will not take full advantage of the technology.
Both Digital and Sequent have a strategy of allowing customers to decide whether to use Unix or Microsoft Corp's increasingly popular Windows NT operating system, while Sun is a rival of Microsoft.
Digital and Sequent said they would recruit additional partners and licensees.
"With Solaris, Sun offered Sequent a low-end Intel environment which has a long way to go before it approaches where Solaris-on-SPARC is today," Sequent chairman Casey Powell said.
"And at Sun, the commitment clearly isn't there for NT integration."
For Digital, the move to partner with Sequent could revive flagging enthusiasm for Digital's implementation of Unix among independent software developers, Gartner Group analyst Tom Henkel said.
He said while Digital had a "very good technical implementation" of Unix, the computer-maker had focused much of its energy in recent years on NT-based systems, and its Unix sales lagged behind those of Sun, Hewlett-Packard and IBM.
Back To Top
With Solaris, Sun offered Sequent a low-end Intel environment which has a long way to go before it approaches where Solaris-on-SPARC is today
ÿ
|
