Conference 7.286::digital

    let me get this straight now.
    
    ATT recently SOLD something to NOVELL that they'd been giving away to
    colleges and universities for FREE for many years.
    
    Now HP is planning to BUY that something from NOVELL?
    
    Is there something here I'm missing?
    
    tony
    ;^]

    Hmmm... If Novell are selling it, I wonder if we should put in a bid.

    It will be interesting. If my between the lines reading is any good
    this looks like HP will buy the UNIXware product business from Novell
    but Novell will retain the property rights for the AT&T derived source
    pool, otherwise why the issue of Novell "waiving" license fees. HP gets
    a UNIX for the Intel space, in the process fires another salvo in the
    UNIX vs NT war, they cut royalties they have to pay now to Novell for
    HP/UX. 
    
    Outcomes? Sell your SCO stock if you haven't already. Further UNIX vs
    NT FUD and posturing industry wide. 
    
    If this really happens the FUD we can generate as a result is substantial, 
    HP has a fragmented UNIX strategy, clearly UNIXware is a better fit that 
    HP/UX on the HP/Intel chip does this mean HP/UX is dead? and so on....  
                          

Sorry for not placing the entire article but it essentially
suggests that HP is buying UNIX the OS, Not UNIXware.

.../darryl

    So let's see:
    
    There is UNIX the OS(with sources presumably) Sold by AT&T to NOVELL 
    and now sold to HP.
    
    There is UNIX the trademark(tm) Sold/Given to X/Open by NOVELL for 
    continued membership in the club.
    
    There is UNIXware the product that NOVELL will still continue selling.
    
    There is WNT (the OS, Trademark, and Product from Microsoft) which was 
    declared to be UNIX, eh, an Open System by the Federal Government edict...
    
    If this was an Open Systems soap opera it couldn't be more twisted;-)
    
    But hey we laughed at HP when they bought Apollo's market share too
    and they did ok with that one...
    
    JMHO,
    
    John W.
    
    

HP, Novell and SCO To Deliver High-Volume UNIX OS With Advanced Network And
Enterprise Services

Base Created for Next-Generation Business-Critical Computing

NEW YORK, New York - September 20, 1995 - Hewlett-Packard Company, Novell,
Inc., and The Santa Cruz Operation, Inc. (SCO) today announced business
relationships designed to deliver a high-volume UNIX - operating system with
NetWare and UNIX enterprise services. The three companies will work
together - each focusing on its core strengths - to release a series of
merged UNIX products that will provide customers with a clear, evolutionary
path to 64-bit networked computing on the HP/Intel architecture. As a
result, customers will be able to take advantage of a high-volume UNIX
operating system that runs on standard hardware platforms and integrates
their current desktop, workgroup, and enterprise networked environments -
protecting their investments while ensuring access to new technologies.

HP, Novell and SCO recognize that the next wave of computing will require
the integrated capabilities of a robust enterprise operating system and
rich network services, available through high-volume channels. These new
relationships will accomplish the following:

     Novell will provide its market-leading NetWare services that are
     essential for integrating high-end enterprise environments with
     workgroups and PCS; SCO has purchased the UnixWare business from
     Novell and will consolidate its SCO OpenServer system and Novell's
     UnixWare into a merged high-volume Intel-based UNIX operating system
     that provides interfaces in common with HP-UX. SCO will leverage its
     proven ability to bring high-volume UNIX to market;

     Novell will work with HP to produce a high-performance implementation
     of its NetWare Directory Services (NDS) and File/Print Services for
     HP-UX, and integrate NDS with DCE; and HP will lead and drive the
     64-bit UNIX operating system for the HP/Intel architecture, resulting
     in the combination of the 64-bit HP-UX and SCO Intel-based operating
     systems.

"NetWare, UnixWare and SCO OpenServer are all robust offerings on
high-volume Intel-based platforms," said David L. House, senior vice
president of Intel's Enterprise Server Group. "The combination of these
capabilities, along with HP's expertise in the 64-bit arena, should be a
welcome solution for UNIX ISVs and users."

As a result of these relationships, customers will gain the following
benefits:

   * Better access to corporate data from the integration of NetWare
     services and UNIX;
   * Wider choice of applications and development tools from existing
     HP-UX, SCO OpenServer and UnixWare solutions; and
   * Faster development of new applications from the common interfaces that
     enable developers to provide new functionalities faster.

"By combining HP's and Novell's respective strengths in enterprise and
networked computing and SCO's proven volume distribution channel for its
UNIX operating system, we will continue to deliver effective commonality in
UNIX," said Willem P. Roelandts, HP senior vice president and general
manager, Computer Systems Organization. "By forging these relationships, we
are providing a common environment that meets customer requirements for a
networked computing architecture spanning the virtual data center from
desktop to enterprise business-critical servers."

"Working with HP and SCO to focus on our respective strengths and
consolidate our overlapping efforts creates unparalleled new opportunities
for our customers and partners. By standardizing on Novell's networking
services, our customers benefit from having a greater level of consistency
on their networks, reducing their cost of ownership and simplifying their
ability to deploy cost-effective application servers. Our partners benefit
from a new level of consistency, allowing them to focus on providing
value-added capabilities never considered before. HP will take the lead in
UNIX technology; Novell will take the leadership role in network services;
and SCO will lead in creating technology required for volume channels. We
expect this relationship to result in an unprecedented selection of network
services, applications, development tools, and channel support on the
Intel-based UNIX platform," said Bob Frankenberg, Novell chairman and CEO.

Alok Mohan, SCO president and CEO said, "UNIX is the leading
business-critical operating system server for large and small businesses
today, and this relationship provides SCO OpenServer and UnixWare customers
with a reliable and innovative platform for future growth. HP's technology
leadership will ensure the continued success of UNIX. Organizations can
integrate their network services and enterprise systems while protecting
their substantial investments in hardware and application development."

According to Richard French, Oracle's vice president, Intel UNIX Products
Division, "This relationship will create a standard, high-volume UNIX
platform for business-critical computing that is very attractive to Oracle
and should be to all application developers. Oracle, and other software
vendors, will be able to deliver products to customers faster, reduce
costly porting and tuning efforts, while spending more time optimizing
software functionality and adding specific added value for customers.
Additionally, this relationship will reinforce the recently announced
initiative by all UNIX suppliers for a 64-bit UNIX."

Hewlett Packard Company is a leading global manufacturer of computing,
communications and measurement products and services recognized for
excellence in quality and support. Hewlett-Packard has 99,900 employees and
had revenue of $25 billion in its 1994 fiscal year.

Novell (NASDAQ: NOVL) is the world's leading network software provider.
Novell software provides the infrastructure for a networked world, enabling
our customers to connect with other people and the information they need,
anytime and anyplace. Novell partners with other technology and market
leaders to help customers make networks a part of their everyday lives.

SCO (NASDAQ:SCOC) is the world's leader for UNIX System servers and
multiuser hosts. SCO Business Critical Servers run the critical, day-to-day
operations of large branch organizations in retail, finance, and
government, as well as corporate departments and small to medium-sized
businesses of every kind. SCO sells and supports its products through a
worldwide network of distributors, resellers, systems integrators, and
OEMs.

NetWare and UnixWare are registered trademarks of Novell, Inc. SCO and SCO
OpenServer are registered trademarks of The Santa Cruz Operation, Inc. in
the United States and other countries. UNIX is a registered trademark in
the United States and other countries, licensed exclusively through X/Open
Company Limited. All other trademarks are the properties of their
respective companies.

Press Contacts:
HP                      Novell                      SCO
Gary McCormack          Catherine Stewart           Monika Laud
(303) 229-2370 phone    (201) 443-6264              (408) 427-7421
email: gary_mccormack   email: [email protected]  email: [email protected]
@hp4000.desk.hp.com
    

HP, Novell, and SCO

FACT SHEET

Executive Overview

Hewlett-Packard Company, Novell, Inc., and SCO today announced business
relationships designed to deliver a high-volume UNIX� operating system with
NetWare and UNIX enterprise services. This process will occur in phases:

   * Novell will provide its market-leading NetWare services that are
     essential for integrating high-end enterprise environments with
     workgroups and PCs.
   * SCO has purchased the UnixWare business from Novell and will
     consolidate its SCO OpenServer system and Novell's UnixWare into a
     merged high-volume Intel-based UNIX operating system that provides
     interfaces in common with HP-UX. SCO will leverage its proven ability
     to bring high-volume UNIX to market.
   * Novell is taking a significant minority equity position in SCO.
   * Novell will work with HP to produce a high-performance implementation
     of its NetWare Directory Services (NDS) and File/Print Services for
     HP-UX, and integrate NDS with DCE.
   * HP will lead and drive the 64-bit UNIX operating system for the HP
     Intel Architecture, resulting in the combination of the 64-bit HP-UX
     and SCO Intel-based operating systems.

Customer Benefits

As a result of these relationships, customers will be able to take
advantage of a high-volume UNIX system that runs on standard hardware
platforms and integrates their current desktop, workgroup, and enterprise
networked environments -- protecting their investments while ensuring
access to new technologies. These relationships allow for better and faster
innovation as all three companies can concentrate on their core
competencies. In addition, application developers and corporate IT teams
will be able to develop to one Intel-based networked UNIX platform. This
will reduce development, support, and maintenance costs as well as
facilitate a new breed of network-aware applications.

The benefits include:

Customers:

   * A smooth evolution to the 64-bit UNIX operating system for customers
     using existing products
   * Helping customers to build distributed solutions standardized on a
     single set of network services (NetWare directory services, file,
     print, RPC, etc.)
   * Better use and control of networked business information and resources
   * Faster development and deployment of business-critical solutions
   * Simpler integration and management of Windows environments with
     business servers and network services
   * Single development, support, and maintenance for UNIX
   * The single UNIX implementation for HPIA will provide access to all the
     applications previously available for HP-UX, the SCO OpenServer
     system, and UnixWare

ISVs/IHVs:

   *  A single high-volume UNIX platform to develop for, at both the source
     and binary level
   * Reduced development, testing, tuning, and maintenance costs as a
     result of targeting a single environment with common application and
     network services
   * Faster time to market for software developed to this platform due to
     reduced porting and testing time
   * Ability for developers to spend more time focusing on adding customer
     value
   * Confidence that any current development for the SCO OpenServer system,
     UnixWare, or HP-UX will be protected through the commitment to the
     64-bit UNIX specification in future versions of these systems

OEMs:

   * Enables them to meet customer demand through a single UNIX environment
   * Reduces their cost of selling and supporting multiple operating
     environments
   * Reduces their cost and time in porting value-added software
   * Reduces development and maintenance costs by enabling OEMs currently
     writing or porting their own UNIX software to move to a packaged UNIX
     solution on Intel-based systems
   * Allows OEMs to concentrate on adding value to their customer solutions
   * Eases the migration of UNIX applications between Intel-based and
     non-Intel-based platforms
   * Creates a high-volume UNIX platform, helps generate additional
     hardware sales

Compatibility with Existing Technologies

SCO OpenServer and UnixWare
SCO will consolidate its SCO OpenServer system and Novell's UnixWare into a
merged high-volume Intel-based UNIX operating system that provides
interfaces in common with HP-UX. The merged product is being designed to
offer binary compatibility with existing SCO OpenServer and UnixWare
applications, as well as a full set of migration tools to ensure that
developers can easily develop for the new line from either predecessor. In
addition, HP will provide HP-UX features to SCO for inclusion into the
merged SCO OpenServer and UnixWare product.

HP-UX
HP will lead and drive the 64-bit UNIX operating system for the HP Intel
Architecture, resulting in the combination of the 64-bit HP-UX and SCO
Intel-based operating systems. HP will provide binary compatibility for
HP-UX applications and a smooth upgrade path to the 64-bit UNIX operating
system on the HP/Intel architecture. HP is also planning to provide 64-bit
capability in HP-UX in 1996.

NetWare
SCO's initial merged product will integrate NetWare file, print, and
directory services, and other NetWare technologies already a part of
UnixWare 2. HP also plans to integrate high-performance file and print and
directory services into HP-UX. In the 64-bit UNIX time frame, the
integration of additional services, such as management and security, are
being discussed. A more detailed roadmap for Novell network services will
be announced shortly.

DCE
HP and Novell, working with OSF partners, will evolve DCE to integrate NDS
and public key security, and interoperate with other NetWare services.
Novell will adopt the DCE RPC and programming model. Both HP and Novell
will contribute new technology to DCE, while NetWare and DCE will continue
to interoperate.

Other Networking
The merged products will interconnect with a wide range of other systems.
Connectivity will be supported using TCP/IP, IPX/SPX, LAN Manager, and
other protocols as provided by the companies involved. In addition, the
merged products will continue to support distributed services such as DCE.

Microsoft Windows
UNIX is today's best business application server. NetWare is the most
popular network operating system. SCO, HP, and Novell will take a
leadership role in creating Windows Friendly networking environments. The
SCO merged operating system will combine the best of both with the
inclusion of Novell network services and SCO Windows Friendly features that
allow the integration of all Microsoft products.

The Roadmap

SCO has outlined a product roadmap in which both the SCO OpenServer system
and UnixWare will continue to be individually supported and enhanced.
Upcoming releases include enhanced SCO OpenServer and UnixWare products in
the first half of 1996.

A beta of the merged product with a complete software migration toolkit is
expected in the summer of 1996. This beta kit will enable developers to
begin developing their applications to a single unified product line
consisting of the best capabilities of both environments. Final release of
the merged product will be available in 1997. This product is being
designed to offer binary compatibility with existing SCO OpenServer and
UnixWare applications, as well as a full set of migration tools to ensure
that developers can easily develop for the new line from either
predecessor.

HP will lead and drive the 64-bit UNIX operating system for the HP Intel
Architecture, resulting in the combination of the 64-bit HP-UX and SCO
Intel-based operating systems. HP is planning to provide 64-bit capability
in HP-UX in 1996 and carry this work forward, along with industry efforts,
toward a common 64-bit specification.

NetWare and UnixWare are registered trademarks of Novell, Inc. SCO, The
Santa Cruz Operation, and SCO OpenServer are registered trademarks of The
Santa Cruz Operation, Inc. in the U.S.A. and other countries. Windows
Friendly is a trademark of IXI Limited, a subsidiary of The Santa Cruz
Operation, Inc. UNIX is a registered trademark in the United States and
other countries, licensed exclusively through X/Open Company Limited. All
other trademarks are the properties of their respective companies. Page 3
    

    sell your stock in HP asap.The future is linux-like - free.
    

-1>> sell your stock in HP asap.The future is linux-like - free.
    
This is the third comment I have heard that the new HP-SCOware or whatever it
will be called, is likely to lose out to Linux.

I know Linux is a good implementation of unix ( better than SCO etc. ) but can
you run a business on Linux ? can you buy applications. Do any users begrudge
the few hundred dollars that you pay for a low end unix. Will linux ever
graduate out of the labs & internet hackers circles. If it is free, there cannot
possibly be any budget for marketing, so it will always lose out to a product
that is activly sold.

Linux may be both good, and very cheap, but there is much more to sucess in the
commercial market than that.

Chris

    
    ...yeah, that would be like getting a site license for some shareware
    software (like Trumpet) at a fortune 500 company.  Never happen! ;)

    I seem to recall not too long ago that Novell were going to base some
    part of their Unix offering on the Linux kernel; don't know whether it
    ever happened thoough. So they must have been reasonably confident at
    the time. But Novell are in a rather different situation than the
    average PC owner or MIS manager. Even so, I know of resellers who are
    talking VERY significant quantities of Alpha sales based on Linux - but
    not to the average PC user or even to the MIS manager.

Do we have any announced plans to port or look at porting Digital UNIX to Intel?
There's no reason why we should stand on the sidelines in this space.  After 
all, as I coined elsewhere in this conference, "we're the leaders in the 64-bit
UNIX market."

Bruce

    Linux is much further along than you may guess. There is a magazine,
    LINUX JOURNAL and there have been many articles published on commercial
    apps installed. There are a good number of apps for it. Ray Norda, ex
    of novel has a company doing Linux apps. Essentially all the
    interesting net software runs on Linux now. 
    
    If we are lucky the Linux on alpha could be a hot item.

>>Do we have any announced plans to port or look at porting Digital UNIX to Intel?
>>There's no reason why we should stand on the sidelines in this space.  After 
>>all, as I coined elsewhere in this conference, "we're the leaders in the 64-bit
>>UNIX market."

	since Digital UNIX is a 64-bit OS throughout, it is by definition
	impossible to run it on any of Intel's x86 (including Pentium)
	chips since they are architectually 32-bit...that being said,
	OSF does have an Intel reference port of the core OS bits that
	long ago formed the basis of what was then called DEC OSF/1, but
	Digital UNIX has evolved quite drastically from that base...
	(OSF in fact uses many Intel boxes interally running OSF/1)...

	_kelley

    >>    ...yeah, that would be like getting a site license for some shareware
    >>    software (like Trumpet) at a fortune 500 company.  Never happen! ;)
    
    I happen to know one LARGE pharms company that wants to do just that.
    I'm not impressed.....
    
    Alan
    

    My surprise in the announcement is the quote regarding 'HP's experience
    in the 64 bit arena'  or words to that effect .... what 64 bit
    experience.
    
    The announcement is talking about easy migration to a 64 bit
    operating environment that does not exist, based on hardware which
    seems to have been pushed out to 1997 at the earliest.
    
    And so soon after the NT/Alpha announcement ... nothing to do with that
    of course.
    

    re: .9
    
    When I took a Digital training course at a external company in Chicago
    a few months back, they were about to install a Linux-based firewall
    for their Internet connection.
    
    A VMS-to-Unix conversion shop told me that they've already ported some
    VMS systems to Linux.
    
    I've heard quite a bit of buzz about companies taking a serious gander
    at Linux for "point" solutions, with hopes that a good showing will
    increase the number of Linux boxes onsite.
    
    People may be getting excited about Linux because it gives new meaning
    to the term "OPEN".
    
    Besides, it's a rush when I boot my PC under Linux -- I have an
    "industry standard" desktop which doesn't have an Intel CPU (AMD
    instead) and doesn't have _ANY_ Microsoft software running on it!
    
    Now _THERE'S_ a switch!  ;^}
    
    -- Russ

re Note 4131.17 by NEWVAX::PAVLICEK:

        Is it that Linux is gaining momentum, or is it that there is
        decreasing need to go outside of the "industry standard"
        hardware architecture for any purpose?

        Bob

    re: .18 (Bob F)
    
    Maybe some of each.
    
    People seem to be seeing Linux as an inexpensive software alternative
    for a piece of easily acquirable and supportable hardware.
    
    PCs are everywhere and so are the people who build and fix them.
    
    Unix knowledge is all around and is already in most organizations.
    
    Linux is free, or cheap enough to be regarded as free (I picked up the
    InfoMagic August 1995 4 CD set last weekend for $15).
    
    The risk of entry into the O/S is very, very low.  The band of
    Linux-specific knowledge is small (by comparison with many other
    O/S's).  The cost is trivial ("hey, if it don't work, we load DOS and
    we're out some chump-change!").
    
    So people can afford to target point solutions with a Linux box as an
    experiment without anyone's job being on the line.  If it fails, it's
    no real loss.  If it succeeds, the implementer gets high praise for
    cutting costs while using an "industry standard" solution -- and the
    door stays open for more Linux solutions.
    
    -- Russ
    
    [Of course, it _COULD_ be that people are just getting TIRED of
    Microsoft...  NAAAAHHHHH!  8^]
    
    [I also forgot to mention the RUSH of dialing-in to my lick'em-and-
    stick'em 386 while I was in Chicago to trade email with my wife while I
    was on the road.  A lightly configured box that couldn't DREAM of
    running NT was successfully running a true multiuser O/S without much
    discomfort.  No wierd-a$$ PC-somewhereorother software to "fake out"
    the O/S into using the modem for something other than a bit bucket. No
    rebooting every 30 freakin' minutes to load another "configuration" to
    get something different done.  WHAT A CONCEPT!!!  ;^]

re: .14, _kelley's "can't get there from here"


I know that *current* Intel chips are 32-bit.  My suggestion, in .12, that we 
should be thinking about porting Digital UNIX to Intel, was based on one of 
the thread's themes, that HP is writing a 64-bit UNIX for the Intel/HP future
64-bit chip.

from .7

�  * HP will lead and drive the 64-bit UNIX operating system for the HP
�     Intel Architecture, resulting in the combination of the 64-bit HP-UX
�     and SCO Intel-based operating systems.

Bruce

re: <<< Note 4131.20 by MBALDY::LANGSTON "our middle name is 'Equipment'" >>>
>>                     -< are you reading the whole string? >-

	sorry, but it wasn't clear to this next-unreader that your were
	discussing the mythical HP/Intel architecture (since you
	only said "Intel" in your reply)....that being said, I
	thought the initial blurbs about this mythical chip stated
	that it would be VLIW based, not 64-bit by any means, despite what
	this other blurb about the mythical 64-bit HP UNIX says; that
	would make a Digital UNIX "port" quite the massive undertaking...
	but since said chip and said OS are both vaporware at this point,
	my ramblings here are somewhat speculative to say the least...

	_kelley

    
    Red Hat Software is a up-and-coming company dedicated to releasing a
    fully tested and verified version of Linux.  Currently hundreds of 
    Web servers are providing WEB services running Linux.  Red Hat was
    chosen by Cardella to supply the version of Linux for their
    Network Desktop (tm) package,  Preview 2 is currently available for $39.
    It includes a full-featured Netware(tm) client with access to Netware
    3 and Netware 4 servers, directly from the desktop, NDS support,
    IP protocol(s) support, client and server Internet access tools,
    Web server, Web client, SMTP mail server, NEWS server, FTP server,
    Commercial X11 font server (TrueType(tm), Type 1, and SPEEDO),
    Caldera Distributed Backup utility, CRISP text editor and more.
    It is expected to cost $99.
    
    Also, Cardella  is releasing a super desktop package which will
    include the above plus Wordperfect for Linux, NeXs, a spreadsheet
    product, graphical email system and Motif for $600.
    
    This is the company founded by Ray Norda.  Check the WEB for Red Hat
    and Norda's company. 
    
    Also, the Linux Journal has adds for development packages, database
    packages, you name it, all much cheaper than the "big guys" platforms.
    
    And it will run on Alpha.....
    
    Dennis
   
    PS

    Cardella URL  -    http://www.caldera.com/

    Redhat   URL  -    http://www.redhat.com/

In the UK we are supplying an Internet Service Provider with an Alpha 
no-name server to run Linux as part of their commercial offerings. They 
expect to sell/rent 4000 in the first two years.

Dave.

    I talked to a fellow the other day doing a project to install Linux on
    1000 Alpha PCs for a deal with a University. They are using the Alpha
    PC mother board, a genric PC cabinet, adding their own disks and simms.
    They will deliver fully installed, ready to boot, Workstations with
    Xwindows and all the Linux tools.

    I just returned from the Unisys Users Conference (UNITE) in Orlando. 
    At the past two conferences, Unisys made presentations on their UNIX OS
    Strategy where they clearly said (word and print) that UNIXWARE 3.0 was
    their strategy.  They even had slides showing the migration paths and
    dates for their installed base of UNIX users.  It covered their own
    SVR4 version for single proecessor systems, SVR4/MP for multiple
    processor systems, and SVR4/MK for their new OPUS parallel server using
    Corvus Systems micro kernal (MK) technology.  
    
    Now at this conference, they have completely switched back to their own
    SVR4 version as being their future.  This, needless to say, left many
    of their customers feeling like Unisys did not know what the hell they
    were doing.  When challenged in the presentations about the turnaround,
    Unisys said that the presentations from the previous two conferences
    was not their strategy, but their "vision".  Well I have those
    presentations and it said nothing about a vision, but used the words
    "strategy" and "readmap".
    
    Even more alarming, when asked if they would support the P7 chip in the
    future, Unisys said that they had to give that more thought.
    
    And to make it all even worse, the first slide in their UNIX
    presentation said that they would support SVR4, CTOS (a Unisys product)
    and W/NT on all their Intel-based systems.  A few slides later, they
    are showing off their new U6000/500 SMP Intel-based system and a
    customer asks if it will run W/NT.  The answer was NO.  What a
    screw-up.
    
    The bottom line in all of this is that Unisys put their:
    
    1. Chip future in the hands of Intel, and
    2. Their UNIX future in the hands of Novell, and
    
    A. Intel is teaming with HP for the P7, and
    B. Novell sold their UNIX business to SCO and HP, and
    
    Unisys is left having to tell its customers that it has not made a
    decision on the P7 and that its UNIXWARE strategy was, well, a "vision".
    
    Think about it, if they go with the P7, they will either have to sell
    HP's 64-bit UNIX operating system or they will have to 64-bitize their
    own SVR4 version.  I think they will get killed in the marketplace
    going up against HP by offering their own 64-bit UNIX on the P7.  HP
    will have the inside poop on the P7 and will be first to market with
    the P7-based 64-bit UNIX OS.  They will garner "P7" market share for
    UNIX quickly and Unisys will be hard pressed to attract ISVs.
    
    

    
    	And I thought Unisys had already disappeared. Maybe next year...
    
    
    		the Greyhawk

    Unisys is doing quite good in Asia Pacific and Hong Kong. Someone told
    me that they are quite big in Korea. I think it may be too arrogant to
    totally ignore them. They still have big customers in banks (e.g. Hong
    Kong Bank which is the top 10 biggest in the world) and airlines in
    Hong Kong and recently won some big contracts in China e.g. the "Golden
    cards" (the name may not be accurate, I think it is a project to
    modernise their banking system). 

    We are not ignoring them, else we would not attend their User
    Conference and host a hospitality suite for their users, which we have
    done for the last ten conferences.
    
    Arrogant!  NO!
    
    They are having serious problems.  In today's Wall Street Journal,
    Unisys announced a huge reorganization, the third one this year.  They
    are going to split the company into three parts (Hardware, Services,
    Computer Support), each with its own sales force, management structure
    and financial goals.  Some analyst think they are positioning themselves
    for a parts sale.
    
    Anyway, they will take a $400+ million dollar charge for the quarter,
    report a loss for the full year, and fire an undertermined number of
    employees (currently 35,000).
    
    In addition, according to one analyst, they rank dead last in revenue
    per employee in the computer companies he tracks ($160K vs. $300K at
    IBM).  Half their revenue comes from the hardware group, where sales
    have been stagnant.  To add to it all, Unisys sales "two" proprietary
    mainframe product lines (2200 and A-Series), a UNIX product line
    (U6000) and a two desktop lines (PC and CTOS).  I don't see how a $3.0
    billion dollar unit (hardware) can effectively do this.  The cost of
    manufacturing and supporting to mainframe hardware/software product
    lines is huge and it does not have significant volume in either to
    spread the cost or for that matter, attract third party ISVs.
    
    They may win an occassional new account, but not enough to offset the
    ones they are losing.  Also, most of their business is in the installed
    base.  1986 revenue was $10.2 billion.  Estimated 1995 revenue is $6.0
    billion.  Is that shrinking or not?  That tells me that their installed
    base is turning to other vendors for new applications and
    de-emphasizing their Unisys systems.  
    
    We are agressively pursuing their customers, advertising in their trade
    publications, have gotten all their major third parties products ported
    to Alpha, and are working very hard to get the two largest selling
    Unisys 4GL products (MAPPER and LINC) ported to Alpha.  
    
    Do not fear Unisys, compete against them!  They are weak and have many
    vulnerabilities:
    
    	1.  High cost
    	2.  No major third party S/W packages
    	3.  No semiconductor capability
    	4.  Screwed up UNIX strategy
    	5.  Uncertainty in the marketplace about their future
    
    
    per em

Unisys seem to be more interested in SI projects than shipping tin, to the
extent that they have just won a large bid in the UK by bidding Digital
hardware!. When I met them to discuss some of the details they said they often
do this, bidding Sequent/SUN/HP or whatever is likely to win them the more
lucrative Systems Integration work.

Sorry, no details available right now !

Chris

    Last I heard Unisys was still talking to Digital about creating Alpha
    based Unisys systems.  Of course our similar talks with DG and Apple
    worked so well...  so much for Open Business Practices.
    
    ..Larry

    Strategy to be the preeminant IS vendor:  KILL THE UNIX MARKET
    
    Do this by proliferating NT and Linux everywhere.  Just as the free
    TCP/IP became the standard (over a much better DECNET), we should
    encourage the market to embrace the free Unix.  This will take about
    3-4 years with some decent effort to get major vendors to port apps.
    
    All that will be left is NT and the more robust proprietary operating
    systems.
    
    END RESULT in 1999:
    
    Digital - 1995 45% of system sales are Unix, 1999 market and Digital
    will be 40% NT.  VMS continues to compliment NT as its "backoffice"
    
    HP - Dying a bitter death in 1999 as it continues to explain to the
    world why Linux will fail because it is technically poor compared to
    HP-Intel Novell UX
    
    IBM - AIX just another corpse in the long IBM history of AIX and pains. 
    MVS keeps truckin in its base, IBM announces strategy for 64-bit
    computing with their new O/S, guaranteed to end all O/S's...  WARP
    System 7 (or 12).
    
    DG - who?
    
    Unisys - I think I remember seeing something about them at the computer
    museum.
    
    Novell - Nosell
    
    Microsoft - Agrees to purchase state of Washington from US Government
    in settlement over Government software piracy scandal.
    
    

    How about:
    
    SCO ports new 64 bit version of (UNIXWARE + SCO) UNIX to Alpha.
    NT users can now run their favorite apps on Digital UNIX clusters.
    Free UNIX continues to spread across all platforms.....
    

RE: .33

	I'll take what you are smoking...

							mike