Jacore Technologies Inc is giving IBM System 36 and 34 users the chance to escape from proprietary environments and into Unix, albeit on IBM’s own RT workstation – not the sort of thing Big Mother wants to encourage. Based in Marietta, Georgia, Jacore has, as reported briefly (CI No 1,060) adapted the Unibol implementation of RPG II for Unix, developed by Software Ireland Ltd of Belfast, and recently also introduced by AT&T Co for its UKPB machines. RPGII/IX enables System 36 and 34 users to run their applications under AIX, using the RT as an alternative growth path to the AS/400, thus avoiding the very big price jump System 36 users otherwise face in going to the new machine with its disk-hungry database. Jacore also regards the product as a solution for those System 36 users who would like to add the office automation facilities of the AS/400 by connecting to a System/3X via the RT. Written in C, RPGII/IX offers full emulation of IBM 5251 Model 11 functionality on suitable terminals, a high degree of compatibility with 34 and 36 files using the AIX file system, and full utilities. Jacore has a three year exclusive agreement to market the product in the US. Software Ireland is also suppling Unibol/RPG II to NCR Corp, Dayton, Ohio as part of its Bandwagon Program: the facility will enable resellers to convert their RPG II applications to run under Unix on the Tower. NCR is also using another conversion tool, Convert/36 offered by ABC Development Systems, Minneapolis, to convert System 36 Basic applications to ABC’s Workstation Basic, which runs under Unix and is supported on the NCR Tower.
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