Strategic partnerships with software companies are the order of the day at Compaq Computer Corp as it tries to transform itself into a much more broadly-based systems manufacturer, and according to Computerworld, the latest is with Oracle Corp. The US trade weekly says that Compaq and Oracle are putting together plans to develop clustered personal computer servers designed to run Oracle’s Oracle7 Parallel Server Option, with first deliveries possibly as soon as the autumn. The aim is to make clustered 80486- or Pentium-based servers an attractive alternative to systems such as the Digital Equipment Corp VAXcluster. The concept of clustering would increase the input-output capability compared with monolithic servers, and would also enable users to consolidate proliferating local network servers, thus regaining some control.
