Although fault-tolerant Unix machine builder Sequoia Systems Inc says it still intends to develop a RISC-based system, it looks increasingly doubtful that it will be based on the Hewlett-Packard Co Precision Architecture RISC Sequoia signed for as part of the two firms’ technology and OEM agreement which saw Hewlett-Packard take a 10% stake in Sequoia back in 1989. The Marlborough, Massachusetts firm told our sister paper Unigram.X it is talking with several other unnamed CPU suppliers, but in the wake of its recent financial troubles, is now looking for a deal that involves joint funding and co-development, including staff input. Hewlett-Packard – which buys Sequoia’s existing Motorola Inc 68000-family fault-tolerant boxes on an OEM basis and sells them as the HP 9000 Series 1200 – has contributed no cash to the company’s RISC project thus far. Meanwhile, Sequoia is still working with Toshiba Corp on a Sparc-based fault-tolerant system that Sequoia will have the right to take OEM into some geographic markets, although no product is likely within the next 12 months. In the next six to eight months, however, Sequoia will launch a number of new 68040-based offerings – essentially enhancements at the low and high ends of its range. Since spring last year, Sequoia’s US workforce has been reduced to 165 from 400. To try and get back on its feet again it intends henceforth to concentrate its sales effort on several specific vertical markets rather than just selling to anyone. The primary ones are finance, retail, and health care, and it will also offer support to customers in the telecommunications market – although under their agreement, Hewlett-Packard has exclusive rights to sell Sequoia boxes into this sector. As part of this strategy, Sequoia says it also plans to work more closely with third party software houses to broaden the range of applications available in its chosen specialisations.
