Open system user groups are also starting to proliferate and the latest is the Open User Recommended Systems group, which likes to think of itself as OURS, which would be OK if anyone was going to remember what it stood for. NetWare begetter Novell Inc has stepped forward to announce its support for the group, which describes itself as the industry’s first worldwide multivendor users group – sounds unlikely. Its aim is to bring together corporate level network computing users to communicate clearly their needs to computing vendors. A newly formed steering committee, announced by a Chase Manhattan Bank senior vice-president, includes representatives from Lockheed Corp, Shell International Petroleum; Chemical Waste Management; Texaco Chemical Co; Telecom Australia; the Center for Disease Control; Cablesystems Ltd; and Morgan, Lewis & Bockius. The first task for the steering committee will be to establish guidelines for vendor participation and will be looking to vendors to co-operate in terms of service and support, educational programmes, system design and product compatibility. Vendors may also be asked to contribute equipment for testing, service and support to solve multivendor configuration problems and responses to the key issues.
