Cambridge, Massachusetts based InterSystems Corp has unveiled Cache, a new database management system, designed for high performance transaction processing applications. Intersystems claims there is increasing demand for database management systems which can handle applications involving complex data and complex logic. The system uses a multidimensional model with sparse array storage, which ignores irrelevant information and enables data to be stored more efficiently. The company stresses that Cache is not object relational and doesn’t need an SQL. It claims its approach is different from traditional database vendors in that objects reside at low level within the multidimensional database, bypassing the relational layer. Unlike the companys previous OpenM line (CI No 3,197), Cache has object and SQL compatibility as well as language support for Java and C++. The company is also promising seamless backward compatibility for the 1.6 million users of OpenM via Caches Object Script language. Intersystems believes the key to success lies in continuing to focus on the niche high-end transaction processing market. It expects competition to come from RDBMS suppliers object relational offerings such as the Informix Universal Server but claims rival products focus more on complex decision support and are less effective at handling pure complex transaction processing. Paul Grabscheid, vice president of strategic planning, says the new offering has more extensive object capabilities than Oracle8 and stresses its targeting on a much more specialist market than the database giant. According to Grabscheid the products key strengths lie in high reliability non-stop environments. It has a shadowing capability built in which enables a back up server to be connected more easily and another feature for rapidly reconfiguring the system on the fly. The company is looking to add more Java functions before the end of the year and also hopes to focus more on web-based transaction processing. Founded in 1978, Intersystems has revenues of $40m and a staff of just over 200 and says it plans to double its business over the next three years. The company says there is increasing demand from the financial services market in the UK. Customers include Chase Manhatten, British Petroleum and the Royal Bank of Scotland. Intersystems Cache costs between $125 and $1000 per developer license and is now up on Windows 95 and NT, Digital VMS and around twelve flavors of Unix.
