Micro Focus Plc, Newbury, Berkshire has licensed IBM Corp DB2 and DB2/2 to enable it to introduce Micro Focus DB2 Option, which provides a set of tools for developing Cobol SQL applications for running under IBM’s DB2/2, SQL/DS and mainframe DB2. The tools are designed to enable programmers to create and maintain databases and tables, and to develop, compile, test and run SQL queries on a personal computer. The components of the suite were previously marketed as separate products; the bundle comprises the Host Compatibility Option to provide EXEC SQL and DDL statement compatibility within DB2/2 for DB2 and SQL/DS syntax for applications portability; the Cobol SQL Development Option for DB2 and SQL/DS. It also includes DB2/2 itself as well as Query Manager and an OS/2 Command Line processor; and the IBM Distributed Database Connection Service/2 gateway to enterprise data on DB2 and SQL/DS hosts from OS/2 and Windows database clients, so that developers can leave large databases on the mainframe and still get the benefit of moving application development and testing down to the micros. The DB2 Option is available in five versions – a Single-User for OS/2 at $1,000 per user; a DB2 Option Client for Windows at $750 per user that can be combined with DB2 Option Server for OS/2, in which case all databases reside on the DB2 Option Server; DB2 Option Server for OS/2 at $3,000 per server; and DDCS/2 Single-User for OS/2, priced at $500 per user and DDCS/2 Multi-User Server, going for $4,680 per server.
