It may come as something of a shock to third party software developers that have been laboriously converting their applications to conform to the Common User Access of IBM’s Systems Application Architecture, but there is now an easy way to do it, Entry Systems chief James Cannavino revealed in Brussels yesterday. The key is the Easel program from Interactive Images Inc of Woburn, Massachusetts, to which IBM now has access following its purchase of a 10% stake in the company. According to Cannavino, Easel converts the user interface of existing applications into a bit map that can be designed to conform to Common User Access, which means that existing mainframe applications will continue to look exactly as they did on a 3270, while appearing in the appropriate format when called up on a PS/2 under Presentation Manager. Cannavino did not say when the facility would be generally available, but it could well be announced next week with IBM’s Systems Application Architecture Office blitz, which is being dubbed SAA Office in some quarters, Officevision in others. Brussels addenda: back page
