As everyone seemingly ties up strategic partnerships with everyone else, it comes as no surprise to see Banyan Systems Inc and Digital Equipment Corp announcing a worldwide agreement under which DEC will add the Vines network operating system to its product range (CI No 1,872). The deal raises one or two questions about DEC’s networking strategy since it already has LAN Manager support based on Pathworks, and recently announced a joint product development with Novell Inc. The Banyan deal, though, is limited to sales and support, with DEC making it clear that there are no plans for joint product development. In fact, the move looks like part of DEC’s attempt to make money as a systems integrator, rather than a strategic change to its networking policy. But, do users want to use Vines? DEC won’t make a fuss – it’s up to them. Despite the plan’s being described as global, it starts out in the US, with roll-out to follow in Europe and the Pacific Rim, as the mini manufacturer’s multi-national accounts begin to demand it.
