Gould Inc has quietly set up an office to step up efforts to license hardware and software technology, notably its secure Unix. Its UTX/32S remains the only Unix implementation certified by the US Department of Defense to C2 level, and Gould will progressively upgrade it to the much more stringent B levels and above. With security likely to be a key requirement not only in US, UK and other Government procurements but also in commercial organisations, the Gould developments could have potential for manufacturers whose plans are not already set – although most of the majors already have some efforts in place. Earlier this year, Gould and AT&T published a joint paper on secure Unix as an early contribution to a standard definition before too many conflicting proprietary implementations emerge. Gould UK says the firm has always been keen to license its technology, and negotiations would be with local offices.