German mainframe software house SAP AG has taken a 10% stake in specialist Unix software house iXOS Software GmbH of Munich. SAP has paid around $2m for the stake in iXOS, which produces graphical user interface software and already provides SAP with document imaging technology. SAP is moving from its traditional base towards client-server Unix with its R/3 product line. iXOS, founded in 1988 by Hans Strach Zimmerman, formerly with Siemens AG, and Eberhard Faerber, founder of Peripherie Computer Systeme GmbH, is a privately-held company that has been growing at a rate of 50% per year, and employs 110 staff. Its main products include the iXBuild graphical interface builder and iXView/SQL database query tool. Unipress and Qualix are the US distributors. The money from SAP will fund further product development and cements a technology transfer agreement.
