The decision of the European Commission to launch its Ouverture programme to integrate the Chorus Systemes SA microkernel in Unix System Laboratories Inc’s Unix System V.4 (CI No 1,952) is seen – at least in Germany – as a signal snub to the Open Software Foundation. The Ouverture project to develop microkernal technology for real time applications and parallel processing brings together Alcatel-Alsthom SA, Paris-based Chorus Systemes SA, Ing C Olivetti & Co SpA, SGS-Thomson Microelectronics NV, Siemens Nixdorf Informationssysteme AG and Unix System Laboratories Inc. The way West German weekly Computerwoche sees it, the Commission’s aim is to play a key part in developing the pre-emptive operating system, leaving the Software Foundation and its microkernel version of OSF/1 out in the cold. The main aim of Ouverture is to improve the integration of object-oriented micro-kernal technology into System V.4 and to optimise the resulting environmnet for massively parallel processing applications and high availability real-time systems. Esprit director Jean-Marie Cadiou believes that Ouverture is particularly significant for the Open Microprocessor Systems Initiative as it is primarily concerned with integrated real-time systems. In addition, it is expected to play an important role in the High Performance Computing work of Esprit III. In the Commission’s official announcement regarding Overture no mention is made of the Open Software Foundation, its OSF/1 operating system or its Mach microkernal. Instead Chorus/MIX is referred to as the de-facto standard for microkernal architecture. And Unix System V.4 from Unix Labs is quoted as being the industry standard for open systems, Computerwoche points out. This decision could have far-reaching consequences. Bob Mitze, the European head of Unix Labs, refers to the strong role that Europe is playing in developing open systems. Hubert Zimmermann, representative for the Chorus board of directors, hopes that the decision will strengthen not only his company’s position on the world market, but also that of Unix Labs. Klaus Gewald, technical director of system development for open systems with Siemens Nixdorf – the firm ironically brings together two sponsors of the Open Software Foundation, feels that Ouverture could give Unix System V.4 a massive injection of innovation as well being extremely useful for his own System V-based Sinix products. An indirect attempt, perhaps, to justify Siemens Nixdorf’s as yet unofficial final parting from the Open Software Foundation and its return to the Unix System Labs-led Unix System V fold, Computerwoche suggests.
