AT&T Names President Of Unix Software Operation

MORRISTOWN, N.J. Jan. 4, 1989 -- PRNewswire -- AT&T (NYSE: T) today named Larry Dooling, presently vice-president, marketing and sales support for AT&T's Data Systems Group, as president of its newly formed UNIX Software Operation, a separate business unit that will be responsible for the development, marketing and licensing of UNIX(R) System V software. The new business unit will report to Bob Kavner, president, AT&T's Data Systems Group.

Effective today, the organizations responsible for UNIX System V product planning and management, licensing and marketing will be separated from AT&T's computer business and transferred to the UNIX Software Operation. AT&T's UNIX Pacific and UNIX Europe operations also transfer to the new business unit. Those organizations will report to Mike DeFazio, director, UNIX System Software.

The development staff will be integrated into the new business unit in 1989 as development work on UNIX System V, Release 4.0 is completed. This transition period is necessary to ensure timely development of that release for the industry.

Peter Weinberger, in addition to his current responsibilities as department head in the Computing Science Research Center at Bell Laboratories, will serve as Chief Scientist for the new organization. He will help define the evolution of the UNIX System V offering.

AT&T also affirmed its commitment to work with UNIX International Inc., an independent industry association which will provide direction to the new business unit to make certain that AT&T's UNIX System V product best meets the needs of computer users.

"This is a natural evolution for our business and for the UNIX System," said Kavner. "It clearly provides better focus for both efforts.

"As the UNIX System became one of the fastest growing operating systems in the industry today," he continued, "our licensees wanted a formal mechanism that would give them a voice in the definition of the product. They wanted equal and timely access to the development efforts. We needed to address these concerns and I believe we have."

Don Herman, chairman of UNIX International applauded AT&T's actions. "Every member of UNIX International has a stake in ensuring that UNIX System V continues as the established industry standard for operating systems. This move by AT&T to open its development process allowing users to have a voice in the future UNIX System V development will accomplish that.

"We look forward to working with this new division to assure a natural migration path to the best open systems technologies of tomorrow," he said.

"UNIX International will provide the input from customers, independent software vendors and computer vendors that will assure us -- and the industry -- that we are developing the best possible product to meet their future needs," said Dooling. "In short, it will make UNIX System development more market-focused."

UNIX International will work with the UNIX Software Operation on product definition, licensing policies and product release schedules.

"We will begin immediately to work with UNIX International to plan the future releases of the UNIX System," said Dooling. "While the planning for Release 4.0 is complete, we expect UNIX International to advise us on related issues for that release."

Dooling pointed out that UNIX International has already begun work with the UNIX Software Operation in two areas: establishing the formal process for input and review between the two groups, and developing a plan on how to best provide early access to source code on the upcoming release of UNIX System V, Release 4.0.

The UNIX Software Operation will look to UNIX International to ensure that the interests of the large community of computer manufacturers, microprocessor vendors, independent software vendors, the government and end users are represented in the development process.

The UNIX Software Operation will be responsible for development, marketing, product support and licensing UNIX System V and associated system software such as C language compilers and the Open Look(TM) graphical user interface.

AT&T's computer business will retain development responsibility for all software products that AT&T offers for use on its own systems. The UNIX Software Operation will be the licensing agent for AT&T Data Systems Group source products.

The UNIX Software Operation will headquartered in Morristown, N.J. with licensing and product support offices in Greensboro, N.C., London and Tokyo. The development operation will be in Summit, N.J.

CONTACT: John Skalko, 201-221-2888, or at home, 201-729-8202, or Dick Muldoon, 201-221-2694, or at home, 201-635-5971, both of AT&T.