Ultimate Corp is making its first push into Unix following an agreement with Pick under Unix software specialists VMark Software Inc of Natick, Massachusetts (CI No 1,106). Ultimate, from East Hanover, New Jersey, says it has secured worldwide exclusive rights for the VMark UniVerse product on its current hardware platforms – which include IBM’s 4300, 9370 and RT ranges, DEC VAX, and Bull HN machines. UniVerse enables Pick applications software to run on a Unix machine and according to VMark, can actually run faster than native Pick implementations by virtue of the speed of Unix system calls. VMark-based product offerings will be shown for the first time at the concurrent Unix Uniforum and Pick Spectrum trade shows in San Francisco and Washington DC later this month, and will begin shipping in the spring. We are a market-driven company, and this agreement will expand the size of Ultimate’s market potential dramatically said executive vice president Michael O’Donnell. VMark’s product marketing manager Shields Flynn said VMark was trying to get out of the hardware business and would in future concentrate on third party sales. Hewlett-Packard recently licensed the VMark software for use on its HP9000 Series 800 computers.
