Paul, Re: "Today is the day that SGI finally launches their WINTEL-based workstations -"
OK, SGI in the fold, now here's a milestone involving Sun/Solaris and Merced. I forgot that Fujitsu, NCR, Siemens, and Toshiba were in on this as well. Looks like the last bastion of non Intel computing platform stands, at this point, with System 390. Of course, Sun, today, still has their own Sparc hardware platform in their future plans. Some say it's only a matter of time for that too.
biz.yahoo.com
Sun and Systems Partners Reach
Key Milestone Ahead of Schedule
for Solaris Software On Merced Processor
64-Bit Operating Environment Up and Running On the Intel
IA-64 Pre-Silicon Software Development Environment
PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 11, 1999-- Reaching a key
milestone well ahead of schedule, Sun Microsystems, Inc. (Nasdaq:SUNW -
news) -- working closely with its systems partners including Fujitsu Limited,
NCR Corporation [NYSE:NCR - news], Siemens AG, and Toshiba
Corporation -- announced it has delivered Solaris on the Intel IA-64
Pre-Silicon Software Development Environment using the Merced
architecture.
''Sun has successfully completed the initial port of the Solaris Operating
Environment to Merced in only nine months,'' said Rich Green, vice president,
Sun Microsystems. ''Because the Solaris code base fully supports 64-bit
computing and is almost completely platform independent, we have been able
to port Solaris to the IA-64 Pre-Silicon Software Development Environment in
record time.''
This initial implementation of Solaris on Merced provides backward
compatibility for existing Solaris Intel IA-32 applications. Sun expects to be
supporting select ISVs and its Intel System Partners with a full 64-bit
development environment in an Early Access release of Solaris on the Merced
processor in the first half of 1999.
Sun intends to optimize the Solaris Operating Environment to fully utilize the
Merced features and capabilities at the time of Merced-based system
availability.
''Solaris running on the IA-64 Pre-Silicon Software Development Environment
represents a key milestone for the Solaris IA-64 operating system,'' said Mike
Pope, director of server software programs, Intel Corporation. ''This is an
indicator of the strong industry-wide momentum behind the Merced
architecture, and we look forward to continuing this progress with Sun.''
Investment Protection With 32-Bit Compatibility
To protect customer investments, the Solaris Operating Environment will
provide full compatibility on Merced for the more than 3,200 Solaris on Intel
applications that are available today. This means that ISVs with applications
that do not require 64-bit addressing or the full Merced performance do not
have to change or recompile their existing 32-bit Solaris on Intel applications
to take advantage of Merced.
''By pairing the Solaris 7 operating environment with NCR's industry-leading
Intel-based WorldMark server technology as the foundation, we are able to
offer our customers around the world a scalable, reliable and secure
environment on which to build mission-critical applications,'' said Gary
Horning, vice president, Global Alliance Partners, NCR Corporation.
''This combination of 'best-of-breed' technologies is further evidence of NCR's
commitment to provide customers with industry-specific Data Warehousing
and Customer Interaction Solutions that are portable and work in today's open
systems computing environment. And, the flexibility of Solaris on Merced will
support new 64-bit applications as well as existing 32-bit applications -- a
critical element for our customers as they inevitably grow.''
Advanced 64-Bit Development Tools Available Today
Today, Sun provides a complete 64-bit operating environment. Sun supports
the development of 64-bit applications today with the Solaris 7 Operating
Environment running on 64-bit Sun systems.
The Solaris Application Programming Interface (API) and Device Driver
Interface (DDI) are common across all Solaris platforms. This means that ISVs
who develop 64-bit applications today on Solaris can easily migrate these
same applications to the Merced platform by simply recompiling their
application or driver.
By offering multiple, source code compatible 64-bit platforms, customers and
ISVs gain access to Solaris 64-bit technology today and the flexibility of
multiple platforms in the future.
The Sun Visual WorkShop(tm) 5.0 C++ and the Sun Performance WorkShop
5.0 Fortran products are in broad use today for 64-bit application
development. These 64-bit software development tools will also be available
on both IA-32 and IA-64 platforms to support 64-bit application development
for Solaris on Merced beta programs.
''The availability today of a complete 64-bit Solaris platform along with
Solaris on IA-32 allows Oracle to leverage our extensive past work with Sun
to optimize Oracle applications on Solaris platforms. This minimizes our
development costs and decreases our time to market. Our customers and
partners, including Siemens, NCR, Fujitsu and Toshiba, ultimately benefit
since they will quickly receive access to Oracle products and technology on
Solaris IA-64 systems as they become available,'' said Ray Wong, vice
president, Systems Products Division, Oracle Corporation.
''We're glad to see that Solaris for the Merced processor is ahead of
schedule,'' said Junji Maeyama, member of the board and group president of
Fujitsu's Software Group. ''Solaris provides one of the most advanced
networking environments and our customers can enjoy its high performance,
scalability, reliability and security on Fujitsu's Intel servers.''
''This is an excellent achievement and a critical milestone in making the
Solaris Operating Environment available on the Merced platform on schedule,''
said Bernd Puschendorf, vice president of marketing, Computer Systems
Division of Siemens. ''For all Siemens server platforms, Intel's IA-64 is the
strategic architecture and we are preparing the future now.''
Puschendorf added: ''The technology partnership with Sun has proven to create
results in record time and Siemens will continue to contribute to the
development of Solaris. We plan to take the lead in bringing Solaris on IA-64
to the market and will ensure an easy transition to this technology for our Unix
customers worldwide. The Siemens European Solaris Development Center
supports the partners in providing their applications on Intel-based Solaris and
we are already working with our partners including SAP, Baan, Oracle and
Informix to make their solutions available on that attractive environment.''
''We've been working closely with Sun to reach this milestone,'' said Kaoru
Kubo, vice president and group executive, Info/Communication Platform and
Products Group, Toshiba Corporation. ''We expect that Solaris on the Intel
IA-64 Pre-Silicon Software Development Environment will provide the
end-customers with the opportunity to timely enjoy further growth and
diversification on our Intel architecture based servers. And, Toshiba's
clustering software DNCWARE on the Solaris Operating Environment for
Intel's Merced processor will meet the increasing demand of users requiring
reliable and scalable access to all types of data for mission critical
applications.''
Sun completed optimization of its 64-bit Solaris Operating Environment on the
Intel IA-64 Pre-Silicon Software Development Environment for the Merced
processor in November 1998.
Solaris 7 Product Line
For SPARC(tm) and Intel computers, the new Solaris 7 product line provides
full binary compatibility with previous releases of Solaris software, enhanced
Windows NT interoperability, ease-of-administration and mainframe-class
capabilities.
About Fujitsu Limited
Founded in 1935, Fujitsu Limited is an international leader in information
technology, telecommunications, semiconductors and other electronics devices.
The Fujitsu Group of over 400 technology, software and service companies
posted global revenues of more than $36 billion in the fiscal year ended March
31, 1997. Fujitsu can be found on the World Wide Web at
fujitsu.co.jp.
About NCR Corporation
NCR Corporation (NYSE:NCR - news), is in the business of transforming
transactions into relationships. NCR is a recognized world leader in data
warehousing solutions, ATMs, point-of-sale, high performance scanners, and
support services for retail, financial and national accounts markets.
NCR's business solutions are built on the foundation of the company's
long-established industry knowledge and consulting expertise, value-adding
software, global customer support services, a complete line of consumable and
media products, and world-leading hardware technology. More information
about NCR and its products may be found on the World Wide Web at
www.ncr.com.
About the Computer Systems Division of Siemens
Siemens' new Information and Communication Products Group rolled out its
business on Oct. 1, 1998. With sales totaling nearly DM 20 billion, a global
workforce of 34,000 and manufacturing locations around the globe, Information
and Communication Products offers the entire product range of IT and
communications from a single source: These products range from mobile and
fixed network phones to ISDN devices, PCs, notebooks, servers and
mainframes all the way to retail and self-service systems. Communication
cables and IT services complement the portfolio.
The new Group is divided into five separate divisions. The Computer Systems
Division maintains a comprehensive product portfolio to cater for the
requirements of personal computing and enterprise computing.
Business PCs, mobile computers, workstations and consumer PCs address the
different market segments in the PC sector with tailor-made products. With its
innovative Primergy NT server family, the RM line of highly scalable Unix
servers, and its successful BS2000/OSD mainframes, the Computer Systems
Division of Siemens is strategically positioned for the markets of the future
with best-in-class products.
About Toshiba Corporation
Based in Tokyo, Toshiba Corporation is a world leader in electronic
technology. With over 187,000 employees worldwide and annual sales of over
$40 billion, Toshiba is an integrated manufacturer of products spanning
information and communications systems, information media and consumer
products, electronic components, and power systems and industrial equipment.
About Sun Microsystems
Since its inception in 1982, a singular vision, ''The Network Is The
Computer(tm),'' has propelled Sun Microsystems, Inc. (Nasdaq:SUNW -
news), to its position as a leading provider of high quality hardware, software
and services for establishing enterprise-wide intranets and expanding the
power of the Internet. With more than $9 billion in annual revenues, Sun can be
found in more than 150 countries and on the World Wide Web at
sun.com.
Note to Editors: Third party marks and brands are property of their respective
holders.
Contact:
GCI Group for Sun Microsystems, Inc.
Todd Tornga, 415/974-6200
solaris.pr@sun.com
or
Fujitsu Limited
Toshiaki Koike, +81-3-3216-7952
pr_mailbox@hq.fujitsu.co.jp
or
NCR Corporation
Kathy White, 803/939-6287
kathryn.white@columbiasc.ncr.com
or
Siemens AG
Computer Systems Division
Herbert Schweikl, ++49-89-636-41932
herbert.schweikl@mch6.siemens.de
or
Toshiba Corporation
Takashi Tanaka, +81-3-3457-2105
takashi10.tanaka@toshiba.co.jp
Tony |
