CGI Informatique SA, the $333m software and services company that was bought by IBM France SA last autumn, has been talking about moving from its mainframe focus towards client-server and last week it launched a client-server version of its Sigagip personnel and financial application. Although the first version of Sigagip/CS is only available under DB2 on IBM mainframes, with a choice of clients including personal computers, a Unix server version of the human resources package using Oracle is promised by the end of the year, with the finance package following closely afterwards. It will eventually run on a wide range of Unix flavours and with a choice of database, promised CGI Informatique, which claims worldwide revenues of $60m for Sigagip, installed in 680 locations around Europe. Meanwhile, the company’s Popims distribution package, widely used by major automotive companies such as BMW, Fiat SpA, Land Rover, Renault and Rolls Royce, and also by Rank Xerox Ltd and Mercury Communications Ltd, is making the move to Unix client-server and is due for debut this Autumn. CGI Informatique’s UK arm, CGI LS3 in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, is currently re-writing the system using Micro Focus Cobol to support Oracle on a Sequent multi-processor. It is converting its core code where possible and adding features such as a graphical user interface front-end using Visual Basic and the personal computer to mainframe communications tool from Bellevue, Washington-based AttachMate Corp. Eventually, CGI Informatique says, the core code will have to be modified to take it to full client-server capabilities. The company says that it is resolved to become an ‘open’ company, will not stick to IBM hardware despite its new parentage and will compete with the likes of Cap Gemini Sogeti SA, Computer Associates International Inc, SAP AG and Sema Plc. There is already a Unix version of its Pakbase integrated software engineering tool set – thought to be one of the main reasons that IBM bought the company. CGI Informatique says it will talk more about its client-server strategy within the next few months.
