In an agreement that seems to go a little further than the usual one between computer and PABX manufacturers to ensure that their gear will interconnect, Hewlett-Packard Co and Northern Telecom yesterday announced formation of a joint Corporate Networks Operation that will draw 50 staff from the two companies to integrate their office automation product lines to address the corporate-wide networking systems market. Corporate Networks Operation, based in Santa Clara, California, will serve as a single source for the analysis, design, implementation and support of Open Systems-based, integrated networks – and has been formed as a non-exclusive alliance so others may be invited to join; it is at present funded and managed equally by the two. The pair also announced plans for interworking between Hewlett Packard’s HP OpenView network-management system challenge to IBM’s NetView, and Northern’s wide-area Meridian Data Networking System advanced intelligent network, which includes network management capabilities to complement those offered by Hewlett, and interworking between OpenView and the Meridian System is intended to provide a centralised view of multi-vendor wide-and local-area networks from a personal computer for mixed Hewlett Northern environments. ICL is seeking a similar close relationship with Northern Telecom in Europe, but is committed to supporting other suppliers’ PABXs as well (CI No 926).
