Open Software Foundation releases OSF/1 operating system, offering customers powerful function, industry standards

Business Wire

October 23, 1990

NEW YORK -- In conjunction with Tuesday's announcement by the Open Software Foundation(a) (OSF)(a), IBM Corporation proclaimed its support for OSF's OSF/1(a) operating system, which will provide the benefits of open systems technology to IBM customers.

``With OSF/1 we have the opportunity to share with our customers the industry's best technology for open, standards-based computing,'' said Jack Kuehler, president of IBM. ``Our commitment to the Open Software Foundation's vendor-neutral philosophy remains strong. We look forward to the continuing innovation and leadership that OSF provides in meeting our customers' needs for open systems.''

``We are very pleased with the progress made by OSF and are continuing to work OSF/1 into our AIX(b) product family,'' said Nick Donofrio, IBM vice president and president of the Advanced Workstations Division. ``We anticipate that OSF/1 will achieve the same level of industry and user support as an operating environment that OSF/Motif(a) has drawn for its graphical user interface capabilities. The wide acceptance of Motif(a) validates OSF's technology selection process, and the introduction of OSF/1 further reinforces OSF's value to the open systems industry.''

AIX is IBM's implementation of the UNIX(c) operating system. IBM offers AIX on its Personal System/2(b) personal computer, RISC System/6000(b) family of advanced workstations and servers, and System/370(b) high-end systems. IBM plans to incorporate OSF/1 into its AIX offerings. In June 1990, IBM began shipping AIXwindows(b), incorporating the OSF/Motif graphical user interface on the PS/2 and RISC System/6000.

The OSF/1 operating system reflects the requirements of an open systems environment in multiprocessing and networked computing. It offers full compliance with standards and industry specifications, including POSIX and XPG3. Its compatibility with UNIX System V and Berkeley programming interfaces ensures application portability. OSF/1 features a modular, streamlined kernel that OSF has engineered to perform as a stable, powerful platform for current and future applications. It also has a full-featured command set based on IBM's AIX Version 3 for the RISC System/6000 operating system.

IBM fostered the creation of the Open Software Foundation in May 1988 along with Apollo Computer, Digital Equipment Corporation, Groupe Bull, Hewlett-Packard, Nixdorf and Siemens. (a) Indicates trademark of Open Software Foundation, Incorporated (b) Indicates trademark or registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation (c) Indicates registered trademark of American Telephone & Telegraph Editor's Note: A separate release from the Open Software Foundation describing OSF/1 in greater detail was released today by OSF. For more information, please contact OSF's Donna Ruane, (617) 621-8772.

CONTACT: IBM Corporation, White Plains Judy Radlinsky, 914/642-4634