Insignia Solutions Ltd, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, has received a tremendous fillip for its PCSoft approach to emulating MS-DOS under Unix and other operating systems, winning none other than Microsoft Corp itself to its cause. The Redmond, Washington micro software giant has bought a licence to the software emulation of the Intel Corp iAPX-86 environment, which recreates in software what applications see on an IBM Corp AT Personal Computer. The licence gives Microsoft the right to incorporate Insignia’s technology in future products, but specific terms of the agreement were not disclosed. Microsoft says it intends to use the technology to preserve customer investment in MS-DOS and Microsoft Windows applications in future system software products, on both higher iAPX-86 family machines and on other hardware. With the recent inroads we have made into the Macintosh, Unix and Intel platforms, we believe this strategic relationship will broaden Insignia’s influence in the MS-DOS marketplace, Insignia said. The privately-held Insignia was formed in 1986 with backing from UK and Dutch venture capital firms. It employs 110 people for sales of $8m last year and has US bases in Andover, Massachusetts and in Sunnyvale, California.
