Putting the cat right among the pigeons, leading PC X server outlet Hummingbird Communications Ltd, Markham, Ontario, is setting up shop in the home town of number two in the market, VisionWare Ltd of Leeds. There’s no love lost in the competitive X server marketplace, and although it initially denied any link between the location of the new office and its proximity to VisionWare, Hummingbird admitted the move is part of an aggressive plan to take on VisionWare on its own turf. It has installed Julian Stone to run the office, which will gradually assume more responsibility for handling Hummingbird’s UK resellers and customers, currently administered from Markham. The UK venture is part of a wider European campaign, which will also see the expansion of Hummingbird’s Geneva office to cater for an expected increase in business. Of the $54.7m of PC X servers sold last year, 23% went to European customers, X Business Group estimates. Hummingbird plans a big splash at UniForum later this month when it will announce upgraded versions of its Exceed PC X product line, which will include enhanced performance, extended interface set, greater copy and paste functionality and more.
