Compagnie des Machines Bull SA now says that it expects the symmetric multiprocessing PowerPC systems it is developing jointly with IBM Corp to arrive during the first half of next year. The systems, still at the design stage, are code-named Pegasus by IBM and Pegabull by the company. When the systems are released – and IBM may or may not choose to do this at the same time as its partner – the two firms will be in direct competition, as is the case with IBM’s current RS/6000 AIX line, which Bull resells in drag as the DPX/20 running its BOS/X variant of AIX. Until March, IBM built all of these machines itself and left Bull to add any extras – now Bull assembles its own RS/6000 variants. The reverse will apply with the symmetric multiprocessing PowerPC boxes, however. IBM is providing the CPU while Bull is contributing the multiprocessing technology and it is Big Blue that will rebadge the final product, although it may end up assembling systems too, if volume sales justify it. Bull describes the new machines as its next generation, but declares that none of the bus interconnect development work undertaken with Siemens Nixdorf Informationssysteme AG and ICL Plc under the auspices of a European Community Esprit II project – the European Declarative System – is being incorporated into Pegabull. The relationship with IBM has overtaken all the Esprit work, the company says.
