As part a wide-ranging agreement between Santa Cruz Operation Inc and its new Unix partner, IBM Corp, if anyone makes an offer to acquire SCO, IBM gets 15 days in which to make a counter offer if it so chooses. The two are to develop an AIX-based Unix for IA-64 code-named Monterey64 and an enhanced Unix for IA-32 using SCO’s UnixWare plus IBM technologies. IBM has cut a separate deal with Sequent Computer Systems Inc, which is to use the 64-bit work on its future Intel servers integrated with enterprise and ccNUMA features of its Dynix/ptx Unix. IBM has also committed $5m in the first year of the agreement to market UnixWare and the new IA-32 product on its Intel servers and recruit ISVs. Details of the royalty payments the two will make to each other have not been revealed although there are minimum payment levels built into the agreement.
