Information Builders Inc, developer of the Focus database management system, has decided that Unix has the potential of becoming the next major operating system used by leading UK companies. To meet this anticipated demand, Information Builders has begun porting its traditionally IBM mainframe-based product to Unix-based minis. A port has already been done for the AT&T/Olivetti 3B2 series; a version is currently being done for the IBM RT Personal or 6150; and next month Focus will be demonstrated running on Pyramid Technology’s Series 9000 family of minicomputers. The company, with its UK base in Wembley, Middlesex, thinks that large corporations with mainframes and Personals are now looking to Unix rather than IBM System 36 or 38 to fill the gap between. Although Information Builders realises that the likes of Informix Corp and Unify Corp are way ahead of itself in knowing and understanding the Unix-based database management system market, it sees its product being successful because it will run in other environments and adds that Focus is compatible between different systems. Focus consists of a Dialogue Manager, which generates user-driven, interactive procedures; Modify, which allows the collection, validation and monitoring of data processing; and Ted, an integrated screen painter and text editors for the development of screens and creating Focus procedures. The Unix version of Focus for the Pyramid Technology 9000 series costs UKP62,100 and a monthly licence option is available for UKP1,600 per month.
