Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Lotus Development Corp is indeed to acquire privately-held Redwood City, California Windows relational database developer Approach Software Corp (CI No 2,174), and says it may take a one-time pre-tax charge of $20m against figures for the quarter in which the deal is completed. Terms were not disclosed. The Approach 2.0 database, currently $400, is designed to make it easier for a user to manage and report information, mixing data from multiple file formats into a single form or report. Lotus will start marketing Approach on completion, which is expected in 30 days, and will incorporate Approach into its SmartSuite offering later this year when it adds SmartIcons and other Lotus Working Together product-integration features. Approach is based on client-server technology and it comprises a client-based graphical user interface, a relational layer, and a series of data-access engines called PowerKeys, which are designed to provide native access from Windows to corporate data held in dBase, Paradox, FoxPro, Oracle SQL, SQL Server or DB2 formats.
