As expected, ICL Plc’s High Performance Systems business unit is going to bring its Unix, Windows NT and VME mainframe lines together in a stable of heterogeneous multiprocessing systems a la Unisys Corp’s ClearPath lead. It’s targeting what it calls the SY systems line for Intel Corp’s next generation 64-bit Merced chip set, on which it will run all three operating systems, but before then it will build side-car versions incorporating Pentium Pro and mainframe CMOS processors in the same cabinet, which will run Gemini – the merged UnixWare-OpenServer Unix – and VME respectively. First SYs will appear in the second quarter of next year as a new range of CMOS-based mainframes with up 16 nodes that also contain Pentium Pros to run Unix. They will have new disk subsystems and tape drives, ICL and third party peripherals and run a new version of the OpenVME operating system single system image software. ICL says they will do between 10 and 500 MIPS. A single node LY offering will be aimed at the low end. SY and LY will replace the Series 39 OpenVME ECL systems, which deliver 10 to 250 MIPS. Towards the end of 1997 a DY will be introduced to replace the smaller DX CMOS OpenVME systems. They’ll deliver from one to 10 MIPS. DY systems will use Pentium Pro and also su pport Gemini. By the end of the century, the company expects to be able to offer OpenVME, Gemini – or whatever it’s called by then – as well as NT on a single Merced-based system design. It expects OpenVME to be present in 50% of these systems, Unix in 40% and NT on at least 10%. The High Performance Systems unit will sell the systems direct; the Volume Products Division is responsible for ICL’s Sparc and iAPX-86 server offerings. High Performance Systems claims to have over 25% of the UK’s 8,000-odd corporate accounts. ICL says the prohibitive cost of maintaining its own CMOS design and the lack of independent software vendors prepared to implement new applications for the Series 39 has forced the consolidation upon it. It’s talking up the suitability of heterogeneous systems for its local government and financial vertical markets and the so- called move towards centralized data processing departments among Fortune 1000 companies.
