Digital Equipment Corp has turned to the Auld Enemy, IBM Corp for the basis of a real-time embedded operating system it is developing. It has decided to license IBM’s version of the Carnegie Mellon University Mach microkernel and its Real-time Engineering Group in Marlborough, Massachusetts will exploit and adapt the microkernel for use in a next-generation distributed real-time operating system it is developing. The new executive is intended to address a broad range of more complex distributed and scalable real-time and embedded applications on diverse processors including Alpha AXP, iAPX-86 and PowerPC. The partners say the agreement enables both companies to expand their capabilities to produce microkernel-based embedded, real-time, desktop and next-generation environments – by sharing resources and using common microkernel technology, both will be able to deliver offerings that are portable across environments, while reducing their expenses and time-to-market. DEC promises that it will release additional details of its plans for the technology after December 1.
