The old Apache Group of Advanced Computing Environment adherents will be having its first public pow-wow at UniForum. Now less romantically called the MIPS/System V.4 Special Interest Group, the eight Apaches plan to demonstrate software compatibility across systems using System V.4 and the MIPS Application Binary Interface. The idea is to show applications moving from laptop to personal computer to workstation to mainframe. The eight companies, which include Pyramid Technology Corp, AT&T Co, MIPS Computer Systems Inc, NEC Corp, Ing C Olivetti & Co SpA, Siemens-Nixdorf Informationssysteme AG, Sony Corp and Tandem Computers Inc, are also anxious to lend substance to the notion that there will be a Unix System V.4 for ACE. The Application Binary Interface is still very preliminary and the demonstration will be rather low-level. However, as it becomes more robust later in the year, the group plans an independent software vendor recruitment drive complete with roadshows and seminars. The Interface code is being written by Pyramid, which is organising the event, set for January 23.
