Fujitsu Ltd has become the first Japanese member of the X/Open Group Ltd – and Fujitsu will help in the establishment of a Japanese office for X/Open later this year. The move follows a visit to Japan by X/Open chairman Geoff Morris earlier this year. The Unix applications standards body now has 14 members, including nine of the largest worldwide computer manufacturers and IBM’s application is still pending. A priority for Japan will be a Kanji implementation of the Common Applications standard: there is now a host of Unix computers in Japan, but a dearth of applications, and Fujitsu’s move is in part intended to help fill that gap – as well as aiding a European Unix effort from its stronghold in Spain. On July 18, X/Open will open international headquarters in Reading, Berkshire.
