Open Software Foundation Announces Qualifying Technologies In User Interface Search

ANDOVER, Mass., Sept. 27, 1988 -- PRNewswire -- The Open Software (OSF) today released the names of 26 companies and organizations whose technologies have qualified as candidates in OSF's search for a graphical user interface standard. The identification and specification of a user interface is the initial step in OSF's creation of an open, portable software environment for the benefit of the information processing industry.

OSF is the industry's first member-sponsored research and development organization aimed at bringing global acceptance to a single standard for UNIX-based open software. OSF is developing and will deliver within 15 to 21 months an open, standard operating system environment with extensions and subsystems, using core technology from a future version of IBM's AIX as a development base. OSF will incorporate established standards where they exist, and develop new standards where none exist, via a unique open development process that solicits input from the industry and users.

The qualifying companies and organizations asked to present their technologies to the Open Software Foundation include: -- Adobe Systems Incorporated -- BULL Research (France) -- American Management Systems, Inc. -- Carnegie-Mellon University -- Apollo Computer Inc. -- Digital Equipment Corporation -- AT&T Bell Labs -- Digital Research Inc. -- Electronic Data Systems Corporation -- Sequent Computer Systems, Inc. -- Hewlett-Packard and Microsoft -- Siemens AG (Germany) -- IXI Limited and Interfirm Graphic Systems -- Sony Supermicro Systems Company (Japan) -- JSB Computer Systems Limited (United Kingdom) -- The Stepstone Corporation -- NASA Goddard Spaceflight Center and Century Computing, Inc. -- Team Engineering, Inc. -- User Software Research Corporation -- Neuron Data, Inc. -- Virtual Machine Corporation -- NMP-CAD (Sweden) -- Visual Edge Software Limited (Canada)

"OSF is committed to serving as the catalyst for open systems," noted Henry Crouse, president of OSF. "The overwhelming response by industry leaders to our RFT acknowledges both the relevance of our mission and, more importantly, the validity of our open-process approach."

"We are extremely excited by both the quality and quantity of the responsing submissions," said John Paul, director of development for OSF. "Many are exceptionally innovative and well-designed, and all are well thought out and focused."

The companies and organizations presenting their technology come from the United States, Europe, Canada, and the Pacific Rim, and represent offerings from systems vendors, software vendors and research and university institutions.

To qualify for presentation to the membership, each submitted technology was reviewed against the RFT's mandatory criteria, including POSIX compliance, compatibility with Version 11 of the MIT X Windows System(tm), scope of the submission, technical integrity, and overall relevance to the RFT. The submissions represent a wide range of technology pertinent to the user environment component of OSF's system, including several complete graphical user interfaces, style guides and tool kits.

The invited participants will demonstrate their technologies to OSF members in 30-minute presentations and brief on-hands demonstrations. Members will comment on the technologies at a members-only session, and will have the opportunity to review any technology independently and in detail during the next four weeks. Final member input will be collected at a subsequent membership meeting Nov. 2-4. Following this meeting, OSF staff will complete its review and evaluation process, and will publish OSF's decision and rationale.

OSF said that the final interface could be a single interface technology or a collection of discrete technologies, depending upon member commentary and subsequent OSF evaluation.

The formation of OSF was announced May 17, 1988. The foundation has a management organization, staff and a funding commitment in excess of $100 million dollars over the next three years. Its initial development will be based on technologies offered by the industry and its own worldwide research efforts. OSF currently has more than 40 sponsors and members.

/CONTACT: Paula Slotkin of OSF, 508-683-6803 or Janice Brown of Hill & Knowlton Advanced Technology, 617-642-5907 (office), or 617-965-1846 (home)/ MF-HW -- NE003 --