IBM Corp staffers and sources close to the company have been talking to PC Week about the company’s desktop software strategy, the core of which is the common microkernel that is to underly all its future offerings. IBM will position PC-DOS as its low-end operating system, OS/2 2.0 and the planned microkernel Workplace OS as mid-range systems, and AIX 3.0 Unix as an option for workstations and large multiprocessing computers. IBM Personal Software Products’ microkernel will also act as the follow-on to IBM’s current version of AIX for the PS/2. Over time, the company expecst Workplace OS to surpass the power of the RISC version of AIX to run on 64-bit machines as well as a wide range of multiprocessing systems. IBM also plans to offer the microkernel as a stand-alone product on the OEM market so that third parties can build their own operating systems on top of it. Analysts briefed by IBM said that the company is seeking to rally a big show of support for the Workplace OS when it is launched, and that enhancements for both PC-DOS and OS/2 are in the works.
