Privately-held Information Research Inc in Charlottesville, Virginia is convinced that it is creating a new class of personal computer software with its Sysygy program, which it claims is the first work management software for IBM MS-DOS machines. Syzygy is designed to support networked business teams in the process of managing and co-ordinating day-to-day tasks. It includes a relational WorkBase that provides the integrating intelligence to combine work information from sources such as Lotus 1-2-3, WordPerfect, Syzygy’s work outliner or a project management package such as Timeline. The Workbase is designed to enable team members to access, analyse, update, report and view work status from any number of perspectives, and is claimed to bring a new level of collaboration and efficiency, with routine tasks automated, the number of meetings reduced and information always timely and up-to-date. It incorporates Novell’s NetWare Message Handling Service as its intelligent automated messaging system to link through MHS gateways to facsimile, voice mail and on-line information services, and also supports Novell’s Btrieve and Netware XQL. For three to 10 users, it costs $1,300, for 11 to 25 users, $2,000, $3,000 for unlimited use licences; single user Syzygy is $400. The MS-DOS version is out now in the US, with versions for OS/2 and SQL servers planned.
