Industry Migration To Unix System V Release 4 Accelerates Software Developers Leverage

UI Program To Access Growing Unix System Market

PARSIPPANY, N.J., Oct. 16, 1990 -- PRNewswire -- More than 200 software developers for MS-DOS and proprietary operating systems, representing a large installed base of applications running on an array of platforms, have begun moving into the UNIX System V market through the UNIX International (UI) Independent Software Vendor program.

Participation in the program, which assists software developers in entering the growing UNIX Systems market, has climbed steadily since it was announced in late May. Response to UI's program has mirrored industry trends, as a growing number of ISVs take advantage of the expanding UNIX software market. The comprehensive program offered by UI and its members provides extensive assistance to ISVs in migrating and supporting applications written for personal computers and proprietary systems to UNIX System V Release 4.

Over the past four months, UI has received more than 1,500 inquiries from ISVs about the program. Total enrollment in the program to date exceeds 200 ISVs, who currently are working with UI members in porting their software to UNIX System V Release 4. For the first time in the industry, ISVs have access to technical migration guides that provide detailed data on migrating existing application source code to UNIX System V Release 4, which helps speed the process dramatically. In addition to technical assistance and test-bed hardware, the program assists ISVs in developing the marketing and customer support needed to bring software to the market.

"The overwhelming response of the ISV community to this program has exceeded our expectations," said Peter Cunningham, president and chief executive officer of UNIX International. "It underscores the position of UNIX System V as the leading open system software platform for the 1990s. The level of ISV interest in our program is indicative of the status of UNIX applications as the hottest segment of the software industry. Together, vendors and developers are meeting the worldwide demand for quality and open-systems applications."

By converting existing applications and by developing System V Release 4 applications, ISVs gain access to the fastest-growing major sector of the software market. Currently estimated at $16.8 billion, the UNIX systems market is expected to double in size by 1993.

"UNIX International's ISV program provides us with a catalyst to more quickly and efficiently seize the growing UNIX market," said Michael Tomasic, chairman of Laboratory Technologies Corporation, a Wilmington, Mass.-based developer and marketer of industry-standard data acquisition software for laboratory, scientific, manufacturing and industrial markets. "The industry is in agreement that there are clear advantages in moving from DOS to UNIX System V, Release 4, and UNIX International has effectively organized vendors into a partnership approach to ensure that this occurs."

The program's seminar schedule, now at its midpoint after conferences in Boston, San Francisco, Frankfurt and London, has attracted a total of more than 400 seminar registrants. Remaining conferences are scheduled for Dallas (Nov. 27), Parsippany, N.J. (Nov. 29), Los Angeles (Dec. 6), Amsterdam (Jan. 22, 1991) and Madrid (Jan. 29, 1991).

"We are extremely pleased with the level of participation in our ISV program," Cunningham said, "and UI looks forward to the coming months as the numbers continue to increase at a steady rate. In addition to strong ISV involvement, the unmatched technical and marketing support of UI members has provided our program with the flexibility to adjust to the varying needs of ISVs."

"UNIX International's ISV program has given Sonitech the opportunity to take further steps toward a UNIX system migration," said Yogendra Jain, president of Sonitech, Inc., a Wellesley, Mass.-based manufacturer of Digital Signal Processing (DSP) equipment for PC, VME and S-BUS-based systems. "Prior to the ISV seminar, we had only a vague understanding of UNIX-based standards, and now these elements are quite clear to us the program provides small and mid-sized software developers with the resources and support to adapt to an industry-wide trend."

Further information regarding UNIX International's ISV program is available to ISVs immediately through UI World Headquarters in Parsippany, N.J., by calling 800-848-6495 (800- UI-UNIX5) from anywhere in North America, or 201-263-8400 from elsewhere.

Introduced in November 1989, UNIX System V Release 4 offers compatibility to more than 80 percent of the installed base of current UNIX system programs. There are more than 15,000 applications presently available to run on UNIX platforms, and UI expects that number to double by 1993.

UNIX International is a nonprofit organization responsible for directing the evolution of UNIX System V. Founded in December 1988, its growing membership now numbers more than 170 users, software vendors, systems vendors, value-added resellers, standards bodies, academic institutions and government bodies worldwide.

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NOTE: UNIX is a registered trademark of UNIX System Laboratories Inc., a subsidiary of AT&T.

CONTACT: Stephen Payne of UNIX International, 210-263-8400 ext.236 or Mark Metzger or Jack Jackson of Miller Communications, 617-536-0470 for UNIX International/ 10:24 EDT