IBM feels constrained to demonstrate the depth of its commitment to Unix by developing its own relational database for its AIX 3implementation of the AT&T operating system – and making the thing Systems Application Architecture-compliant, Computer Systems News reports. The planned product, which is certain to go down ill with all the independent database vendors that have done or are in process of doing, versions of their products for the RS/6000, is expected to be announced in the autumn. Unlike DEC, IBM is not expected to bundle the database with AIX 3 – IBM doesn’t give away things that could be sold profitably. The aim is to come up with a database able to share data with DB2 on IBM mainframes, something that mainframe users are demanding, according to third party database vendors. According to International Data Group, there will be versions of the database for AIX 3 on the PS/2 and on 370s as well as for the RS/6000 but while the products may be different, they will all have the same Applications Binary Interface so that applications will be portable between them. The RS/6000 version is expected to be an emulation of DB2 and to interoperate with it. Although the effort will appear as a confirmation of IBM’s bona fides in the Unix market, third party database vendors reckon that it will only be of much interest to members of IBM’s existing user base that are voting the Systems Application Architecture ticket. It is also questionable how quickly IBM will be able to get a solid working product into the market, and its experience with DB2 is not encouraging. DEC of course has choses Ingres Corp’s Ingres relational database for its Ultrix version of Unix, and does bundle the product. It is negotiating a stake in Ingres to cement the relationship – some say it has already bought it and not yet revealed the fact – and Gartner Group reportedly hears talk that DEC is looking for a controlling stake in the Alameda, California company, if not outright takeover of the firm.
