Common Desktop Environment (CDE) for Unix Systems Completed

Industry Standard UNIX Desktop Delivers Compatibility and Common Look and Feel

Dallas -- March 14, 1995 -- (Business Wire) -- The Common Desktop Environment (CDE), an industry-standard graphical user interface for UNIXR and X Window SystemTM desktop computers, was unveiled here today at the UniForum trade show. Displayed in the CDE Pavilion were a number of the industry's most widely used UNIX applications integrated across more than a dozen platforms.

CDE was sponsored and developed by Hewlett-Packard Company, IBM Corporation, Novell, Inc., and SunSoft, Inc. using best-of -breed software technologies. These companies, along with Digital Equipment Corporation, TriTeal Corporation, and six additional system suppliers, are supporting the industry-wide productization of CDE. At UniForum, over two dozen major software vendors endorsed CDE as the standard graphical user interface for UNIX systems.

X/Open Support

The CDE specification was submitted to the X/Open Company Ltd. in November 1994 using the X/Open Fast Track process. The Fast Track process allows high quality specifications with broad industry support to be integrated quickly into X/Open's Common Applications Environment (CAE) while maintaining the X/Open quality requirements. The X/Open CDE specification review and acceptance process has been completed. The X/Open branding program is in the final stages of approval and the date for availability will be announced in the near future.

Through vendor cooperation and commitment to open systems standards, CDE has achieved the unique distinction of having the specifications, products, and the branding program all available in the same timeframe.

CDE Benefits

CDE is an easy-to-use, visual desktop computing environment that delivers consistency for end users, software developers and system administrators, as well as application compatibility and portability across heterogeneous systems from the world's leading UNIX operating system suppliers. By providing a common look and feel for UNIX platforms, CDE will expand the market for UNIX systems.

For end users, CDE provides a consistent, icon-based desktop environment across multiple UNIX hardware platforms. CDE delivers desktop consistency, drag-and-drop support, and ease of use, allowing customers to leverage the power of UNIX systems without having to learn the underlying technology. It allows users to transparently access data and applications from any point on a network, thereby reducing training and increasing user productivity in heterogeneous environments.

For software developers, CDE provides a familiar and consistent industry-standard set of Application Programming Interfaces (API's) for AIXTM, DEC OSF/1TM, HP-UXTM, SolarisR, UnixWareR, and other operating systems. It also provides API support for the X Window System and OSF MotifTM, as well as common services for on-line help, mixed-media mail, application integration and internationalization.

By providing common API's across multiple hardware and software platforms, the time and effort required by software developers to port and test applications have been significantly reduced. CDE also allows developers to maintain a common look and feel, yet continue to utilize the unique functions found in each vendor's underlying operating system and hardware platform.

In addition, system administrators will benefit from a common method of installing and integrating applications in distributed multi-user environments.

CDE Components

CDE is based on HP's Visual User EnvironmentTM (HP VUE), IBM's

Common User Access (CUA) model, Novell's UnixWare client productivity tools, and SunSoft's OPEN LOOKR Deskset productivity tools. Development tools used in the creation of CDE include the X Consortium's X Window System (X11R5), OSF's Motif toolkit and SunSoft's ToolTalkR interapplication communication with extensions to incorporate the HP Encapsulator.

CDE will support the following capabilities:

o Session management

o Window management

o Object/folder management

o Procedural and object-oriented application integration with drag-and-drop and data interchange capabilities

Localization of CDE will be provided over the next few months. This includes message catalogs, on-line help, and hardcopy documentation. Initial languages supported are French, German, Italian, Swedish, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese.

Application Support

Since CDE is based on existing technologies, it will support, without modifications, thousands of the applications currently available under AIX, DEC OSF/1, HP-UX, Solaris, UnixWare and other operating systems. CDE is designed to scale across a range of client/server systems and can support small departmental workgroups as well as enterprise-wide applications, ranging from simple text and data to advanced collaborative multimedia applications across multiple desktops and servers.

CDE Future

CDE momentum continues as additional industry support is committed to "CDE/Motif", the next technology phase of CDE. The four original CDE development sponsors are being joined by Digital Equipment Corporation, Fujitsu Limited and Hitachi, Ltd. in further developing CDE as an industry-standard "look and feel" technology for the UNIX desktop.

Two open systems industry organizations will be directly involved in the CDE/Motif project. The Open Software Foundation (OSF) will coordinate the project, and the X Consortium, Inc. will be the prime contractor. Through the OSF's Pre-Structured Technology (PST) Process, the seven CDE/Motif sponsors have agreed on a letter of intent describing the terms for the project.

All products mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

UNIX is a registered trademark in the United States and other countries, licensed exclusively through X/Open Company Limited.

X/Open is a registered trademark of X/Open Company Limited.

CDE Pavilion Booth 1646 At UniForum

CONTACT: Robert Price Gary McCormack Digital Equipment Corporation Hewlett-Packard Company 508-493-4297 303-229-2370 11:03 ET MAR 14, 1995