Conference heron::euro_swas_ai

312.0. "New DEC Product Initiative - Important" by ULYSSE::ROACH (TANSTAAFL !) Fri Apr 05 1991 10:59

 

                  I N T E R O F F I C E   M E M O R A N D U M

                                        Date:     04-Apr-1991 04:28am CET
                                        From:     MTURNER
                                                  MTURNER@FASDER@YIPPEE@MRGATE@HUGHI
                                        Dept:      
                                        Tel No:    

TO:  PAT ROACH@VBO


Subject: New DEC Product Initiative

From:	GRANPA::GRANPA::MRGATE::"A1::MATTSON.TOM"  3-APR-1991 21:06:39.26
To:	WASHDC::BUZZERD,ANNAP2::HALL,DECUAC::RDR,FASDER::MTURNER
CC:	
Subj:	MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT OF ACE STRATEGY

From:	NAME: TOM MATTSON @MEL              
	FUNC: SALES                           
	TEL: 425-3272                         <MATTSON.TOM AT A1 at MAMTS7 at DCO>
To:	See Below


	Be sure and read this one - this is big-time news!!!




          DIGITAL ANNOUNCES A MAJOR INDUSTRY INITIATIVE -- ACE


CONTACT

Tom Copeland, DTN 223-3015, MLO
Joe Menard, DTN 264-3654, TTB
Derek Speed, DTN 223-3186, MLO

HIGHLIGHTS

o   The most significant computer industry announcement of the 1990s and a 
    natural extension of Digital's current product strategy

o   Multiple vendors provide compatible hardware and software solutions

o   A true multivendor initiative that is more comprehensive than Sun's 
    SPARC clone strategy

JOINT ANNOUNCEMENT, JOINT COMMITMENT 

On April 9, 1991, Digital -- in collaboration with Acer, Compaq, Control 
Data Corp., Groupe/Bull/Zenith, Microsoft, MIPS, NEC, NKK, Olivetti, Prime, 
Pyramid,  Santa Cruz Operations, Silicon Graphics, Sony, Sumitomo Electric, 
Tandem, Wang and others -- jointly announced a commitment to deliver an 
Advanced Computing Environment (ACE) that encompasses two powerful 
operating systems and two computer hardware platforms, setting the stage 
for a new class of advanced networked computing systems.

THE ACE INITIATIVE 

The ACE initiative includes:

o  Two advanced operating systems

   -  A complete standards-based UNIX system, Open Desktop, from SCO, based 
      on OSF technology and ULTRIX compatibility provided by Digital
   -  The next generation operating system, OS/2 3.0, from Microsoft

o  An Advanced RISC Computing (ARC) specification, for MIPS RISC 
   microprocessor-based computers, which is compatible with existing 
   DECstations and DECsystems and uses little endian byte ordering

o  Full support for systems based on Intel X86 

This Advanced Computing Environment (ACE) fits into Digital's Open Systems 
strategy by providing the standard interfaces that provide for application 
portability, as well as interoperability with new and existing computing 
environments.  In addition, customers will have access to the largest base 
of new and existing off-the-shelf applications that can run on a wide range 
of computers supplied by multiple vendors.

IMPLICATIONS OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT

The implications of this announcement to the computer industry and Digital 
are enormous:

o   Over 18 vendors of PCs, workstations, systems and software, 
    representing $45 billion revenue, have embraced Digital's UNIX RISC 
    strategy

o   For 60 million PC users, this environment provides the opportunity to 
    easily transition to the power of RISC computing

o   For UNIX RISC users, this environment will trract tens of thousands 
    of new applications from ISVs 

o   Investment protection for our existing RISC UNIX and Intel based 
    customers will continue

o   Opens the door for hardware vendors to provide added value components 
    through TURBOchannel

o   There will be easy integration of complementary solutions from multiple 
    vendors

A JOINT PRESS RELEASE

In the joint press release, Ken Olsen said about the initiative:

"This initiative is a natural extension of our current strategy. It will 
benefit our customers by making available a broader range of applications 
and offering compatible hardware from many vendors.  This benefit is a 
result of the group's commitment to standards.  This effort, along with 
Digital's support of all major industry standards, continues to bring open 
computing to the full spectrum of users in order to enhance the 
productivity of individuals, groups and enterprises worldwide."

The MAJOR COMPONENTS OF THE ACE ENVIRONMENT

SCO Open Desktop

This unified UNIX operating system will be distributed by the Santa Cruz 
Operation.  The offering will be source-code compatible with the SCO UNIX 
of today; binary compatible with ULTRIX/RISC; source code compatible with 
OSF/1; and source compatible with UNIX System V since it will offer SVID 
Issue 2 compatibility.  For Digital, our current three UNIX offerings of 
ULTRIX, System V and SCO UNIX meld into one UNIX for our MIPS and 
Intel-based platforms, with even broader market appeal, dramatically 
increased application availability, and support from multiple vendors. 
Included as standard components of the new version of SCO Open Desktop are 
OSF/Motif, the X Window System, OSF DCE, TCP/IP, LAN Manager client, NFS, 
Ingres/SQL, MS-DOS compatibility mode and a large range of other features. 

OS/2 3.0

This is Microsoft's next-generation operating system, a 32-bit operating 
system that will support existing Windows version 3.0, OS/2 and MS-DOS 
applications, as well as new 32-bit Windows applications.  The new 
operating system will also include technologies such as a 32-bit 
multitasking kernel, symmetric multiprocessing and integrated networking. 

The ARC Specification 

This is based on the MIPS RISC architecture and will use the same byte 
ordering (known as little endian) as PCs, VAX systems, DECstations, and 
DECsystems.  The choice of little endian byte ordering significantly 
improves data interchange between PCs and systems complying with the ARC 
Specification.  

The ARC Specification also optionally includes either the TURBOchannel or 
EISA bus.  Because ARC-based platforms will be delivered by many vendors, 
the promise of a low-cost, binary-compatible, volume-family of RISC systems 
will be a reality.  And, since a variety of vendors will support the ARC 
Specification, a wide range of computers that scale from laptops to the 
data center will be available.

Both the new version of SCO Open Desktop and OS/2 3.0 will run on ARC, as 
well as Intel X86 systems.  Developer kits for both software environments 
will ship by the end of 1991, with end-user versions shipping in mid-1992.

WHAT CAN YOU SELL TODAY? 

THE ACE INITIATIVE IS A MAJOR CHALLENGE TO SUN'S SPARC CLONE STRATEGY.

Over the last year, Sun has attempted to move the definition of Open 
Systems away from standards to a "volume platform" definition, and has 
attempted to set as standards only those products that use their SPARC RISC 
chip set and operating system.  Sun has signed up many second tier 
suppliers and told customers that their SPARC clone strategy is similar to 
the IBM PC.

The adoption of ACE by major vendors such as Compaq, Olivetti, Bull, NEC 
and others, has defined a competitive RISC platform with room for 
innovation and the choice of the unified UNIX architecture of the '90s or, 
for PC users, the next generation Microsoft operating system, OS/2 3.0. 

THE ACE INITIATIVE IS A NATURAL EXTENSION OF DIGITAL'S UNIX STRATEGY.

The new version of SCO Open Desktop will be based on the OSF/1 operating 
system releases that Digital has planned for the next 18 months.  It will 
include standard programming interfaces such as OSF AES, OSF/Motif, SQL, X 
Window System, POSIX and OSF DCE, along with industry standard 
certifications that include XPG3 and FIPS 151.

The OSF/1 ADK (Advanced Developers Kit) is available to your customers now, 
and the first full ULTRIX/OSF/1 offering will be available before the end 
of 1991.

Because SCO Open Desktop is based largely on Digital's software, customers 
with today's DECstations and DECsystems will be able to easily upgrade 
their current ULTRIX software to the new, further enhanced environment.

Because the UNIX component of the ACE initiative is based on OSF/1 and 
other relevant industry standards, Digital can continue to sell OSF/1 and 
standards compliance against IBM and HP.  This strategy goes farther, 
however, by offering binary compatibility from laptop to data center from 
18 different vendors, an advantage neither IBM nor HP can claim.

DIGITAL IS THE ONLY VENDOR IN THIS INITIATIVE TO HAVE RISC PRODUCTS TODAY 
THAT ARE FULLY COMPATIBLE WITH THE NEW SYSTEMS OF TOMORROW.

Existing DECstations and DECsystems are already ARC compatible, which means 
that customers buying systems today will be able to take advantage of the 
new operating environments that ACE provides.

For developers, DECstations and DECsystems become the logical choice for 
development of applications targeted for the new ARC platform.  The 
DECstation 5000 Model 100 series described in this issue make perfect 
development platforms for ACE-based applications.

In addition, Digital's expertise in developing MIPS-based products will 
allow us to be the first to market with these new RISC-based products.

THE ACE INITIATIVE PROVIDES INVESTMENT PROTECTION FOR BOTH OUR RISC ULTRIX 
AND PC CUSTOMERS, AS WELL AS INTEGRATION WITH OTHER EXISTING ENVIRONMENTS.

o  ACE provides investment protection for our existing RISC/UNIX customers:

   -   Over 1800 current ULTRIX RISC applications run unmodified on the ARC 
       compliant platforms due to ULTRIX binary compatibility in the new 
       version of SCO Open Desktop

   -   Current DECstation and DECsystems will be able to run new 
       applications that will be developed for the enhanced SCO Open 
       Desktop environment

   -   Current SCO UNIX applications will move to the new SCO Open Desktop 
       environment due to source code compatibility

o  ACE provides investment protection for existing PC customers

   -   Current DOS, Windows and OS/2 applications will run using Microsoft 
       OS/2 3.0

   -   Current SCO UNIX applications will move to the new SCO Open Desktop 
       environment on Intel X86 due to source compatibility

This strategy greatly enhances your ability to sell our current products as 
the natural evolution to both existing UNIX and PC environments.

DIGITAL WILL ADD VALUE TO THE ACE ENVIRONMENT.

The ACE initiative allows Digital to continue to adhere to standards while 
continuing to add value or innovation where needed.  Some of the areas 
where Digital will add value is in the development of high performance 
TURBOchannel boards for graphics, networking and multimedia, superior 
layered products such as DEC FUSE, ULTRIX SQL, and DEC PATHWORKS, and 
multivendor integration via NAS.

In addition, Digital's strengths in networking, multivendor integration, 
quality, service and support will take our customers into the future with 
the systems they have today.

LIST OF RESOURCES

Many ACE-related sales tools will be included with the sales kits being 
provided for the DECstation 5000 Model 100 series announcement.  Specific 
deliverables will include:

- -   Scripted customer presentation
- -   Videotape of the ACE Initiative announcement event
- -   Copies of the speeches
- -   Copes of the press release

Send mail to LESCOM::SALES_TOOLS (VAXmail) or SALES_TOOLS @LESCOM @VAXMAIL 
(ALL-IN-1) for more information on available sales tools.

Your local ULTRIX Partners and ULTRIX Sales Support Specialists have been 
trained on the ACE Initiative and will be able to answer questions on it.

CONCLUSION

o   ACE provides Digital with a major competitive advantage over IBM, Sun 
    and HP.

o   Digital has products that are compatible with ACE now.

o   Let the games begin and good selling! 



					Regards,


					Tom



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