Apple Computer Inc has opened a European research and development centre in Paris – its first such facility beyond its headquarters in Cupertino, California – initially employing 18 people. The centre will spearhead Apple’s Open Systems push, outlined in a statement of direction called Oasis, Open Architecture Systems Integration Strategy, announced by the company at a two day conference in London yesterday. The Paris centre will work on communications products to Open Systems Interconnection standards, and develop other software and work on peripherals. The Paris base is also part of Apple’s strategy for preparing for 1992 when trade barriers within the European Economic Community are due to be abolished. the company wants to facilite the Apple is keen to make the Macintosh the preferred means of accessing data on minis and mainframes in what chairman John Sculley described as interpersonal computing – the company is working with its Network Innovations acquisition to embed an SQL-based query language into the Macintosh operating system to automate the process of accessing remote databases, the idea being to make the Macintosh the universal window onto the world of databases.
