Neon Systems Inc, the Sugar Land, Texas-based application integration and mainframe connectivity specialist, has agreed to acquire Beyond Software Inc, the privately-held Santa Clara, California-based company, for the tiny sum of $1.87m plus the assumption of liabilities. Beyond was founded in 1995, and launched an internet browser for mainframe users a year later. Neon gets the company assets, including rights to Beyond’s VM/ESA products, which will expand Neon’s similar products beyond it current focus of OS/390 MVS.
Neon Systems was founded in 1991 by Peter Schaeffer, previously a founder of MVS Software and chief architect of its OPS/MVS product. Schaeffer was also responsible for the development of the Pick/370 operating system. (MVS Software was sold to Gold Systems Inc for $28m, and Gold was swallowed in turn by Computer Associates Inc).
Neon launched its first product, Shadow Direct, in late 1994, opening up access to MVS databases and transaction processing systems, and followed up with Fastload in 1995. In 1996, it acquired replication software company Peregrine Bridge Transfer Inc. Applications for Neon’s technology range from payroll through billing to MIS and data warehouses. Many of the systems being deployed with Shadow Direct are fully transactional, capable of updates (unlike some gateways) and mission critical.
