Sun Microsystems Inc’s SunSoft division, which is already committed to supporting the Open Software Foundation’s Motif graphical user interface and Distributed Computing Environment technology – they were included in Unix International’s Atlas distributed computing framework – says it would only take a minor set of changes to its Solaris Unix operating system to accommodate the Foundation’s AES Application Environment Specification on which the OSF/1 operating system rides. SunSoft is still evaluating whether it wants to do that. The Application Spec and Distributed Management Environment, along with Silicon Graphics Inc’s Iris graphics library are the remaining components that SunSoft would have to adopt if it is to conform to the planned application programming interface spelt out in the agreement between the Advanced Computing Environment and Unix System Laboratories Inc. Conforming to the programming interface could put SunSoft’s third-party application lead at some risk, since independent software vendors could more easily support multiple architectures. But that doesn’t worry Sunsoft if it makes our platform more exciting (to customers), said a spokesman quoted in US press reports, then that’s great. (The ACE-Unix Labs deal) is an opportunity to enhance ties to some of the System V.4 vendors in ACE. Wags suggest this may mean Compaq Computer Corp marketing the Intel Corp-based desktop version of Solaris that SunSoft is currently putting together via an outstanding research and development arrangement it has with Interactive Systems Corp, which SunSoft recently bought.
