IBM Extends AIX Operating System to Largest Processors

Rye Brook, N.Y. -- March 15, 1988 -- PRNewswire -- IBM's Advanced Interactive Executive (AIX)(TM) operating system family is expanded today to support IBM's most powerful processors.

With the introduction of AIX/370, IBM now provides its customers advanced, consistent UNIX(TM)-based function across a full range of products.

The AIX family gives customers common operating systems, applications, communications features, and documentation on IBM processors ranging from the Personal System/2TM Model 80 through the RT Personal Computer(TM) and the 9370 Information System to the 4381 and the largest 3090 systems.

For example, customers now can bring the power of IBM's largest 3090 processors to the fingertips of users of IBM's advanced-function RT PC and PS/2 Model 80 workstations through AIX's communications capabilities.

"The AIX family offers customers one of the most powerful and versatile UNIX-based operating system environments available today," said Edward E. Lucente, IBM vice president and group executive of the company's US Marketing & Services Group.

"The introduction of AIX/370 fulfills IBM's commitment to provide the full function and capabilities of AIX on our very largest systems, as well as the 9370 line of mid-range processors. This is a significant milestone in providing our customers with an industry- leading UNIX offering."

AIX/370 is supported under the VM operating system across IBM's System/370 processor families from the 9370 to the 3090. The 3090 Vector Facility, a powerful tool used in many advanced technical applications, is fully supported by AIX/370 on any VM system that supports the vector hardware.

The Vector Facility on the 3090 processors with AIX/370 will provide one of the strongest UNIX-based platforms in the industry for Numerically Intensive Computing (NIC) applications and scalar processing on large systems. To meet specific needs of the scientific and technical-computing community, IBM intends to provide support for VS FORTRAN Compiler/Library and Engineering/Scientific Subroutine Library (ESSL) on AIX/370.

In addition, IBM today announced a blueprint -- the AIX Family Definition -- which provides consistent screen formats, commands, menus, and application interfaces across the AIX product line. This framework will give customers flexibility in developing AIX applications that best meet their present UNIX requirements, and build on these investments as their needs change.

AIX is IBM's implementation of the popular UNIX operating system. Operating systems are software containing the basic instructions that control computers.

The products announced today will be marketed by the North-Central and South-West Marketing divisions in the United States, and by IBM's World Trade Europe/Middle East/Africa Corporation, and Americas and Asia/Pacific groups worldwide.

/NOTE TO EDITORS: UNIX is a trademark of the AT&T Corporation. Personal System/2, RT Personal Computer and AIX are trademarks of the IBM Corporation./

/CONTACT: Alan E. Hodel of IBM, 914-934-4828/