Manufacturing management software house ASK Computer Systems Inc is to broaden its horizons later this year with new software to address the open systems market. The Mountain View, California-based company, best known for its Manman manufacturing information software for DEC VAX and Hewlett-Packard HP3000 Series hardware, says it is now completing work on a new relational database-independent manufacturing package that will feature an X Window interface and client-server architecture. The first modules are likely to appear in a Unix version by the third quarter of the year, with versions for the DEC and Hewlett proprietary environments following. ASK has set up a technological agreement with Ingres Corp, and is using Ingres 4GL and development tools to produce the software, allowing easier portability between any machines supporting Ingres or other SQL databases (including DEC’s Rdb and Hewlett’s Allbase). Functionally, the software will include a greater emphasis on distribution, customer servicing, finance and marketing, as well as the central manufacturing operations modules. ASK UK managing director Graham Page said the company had not made the move before, as it was not convinced that performace would be sufficient for demanding transaction processing applications: beyond DEC and Hewlett’s Unix ranges he would not reveal which Unix families would be targeted first, saying only that no decision had been made about IBM’s AIX so far. The company will offer existing users the chance to migrate with a package of customer credits, migration tools and services, but says it will continue to develop its existing Manman and Mancim packages products independently. ASK will also continue to offer separately its SIM/400 software line for IBM’s AS/400, which it acquired through the takeover of Data 3 Systems Inc in mid-1989. With over 3,000 customers worldwide, ASK claims that Manman holds the number two slot in the marketplace after IBM’s MAPICS, and says it is Hewlett’s largest third party vendor: in 1989 it had a turnover of $186m. The company has a European headquarters in Switzerland, and a UK office in Milton Keynes.
