IBM Corp’s Programming Systems Division yesterday bought a significant equity stake in object database pioneer Object Design Inc, Burlington, Massachusetts and announced a strategic partnership to use its use ObjectStore object-based database technology, in all future IBM object-based application development. Financial details were not revealed, but IBM is now said to be one of the two largest investors in the privately held firm. Under the terms of the development agreement, IBM will use ObjectStore as the object storage mechanism for AD/Cycle – IBM’s application development environment Information Warehouse and future workflow management and compiler tools. According to IBM, existing object projects and software using technology from companies such as Versant Object Technology Inc and Objectivity Inc will be moved to ObjectStore in their next releases. IBM will also market Object Design products.
