Microsoft Corp has arranged for the German software major Software AG, Mlheim to convert the core Object Linking & Embedding technology to non-Microsoft Corp operating systems, including all major versions of Unix and IBM Corp’s MVS and OS/400. Software AG said it will take three years to finish the conversions, but eventually a customer will be able to phone and buy a version of network Object Linking & Embedding for each system. Software AG’s Entire will be re-released as natively Object Linking & Embedding-compliant without needing extensions. The company expects to have Object Linking & Embedding ready to run on the first non-Microsoft systems by early 1997. The last systems will be finished by the end of 1998. The deal complements earlier ones with Mainsoft Corp, Bristol Technology Inc, Locus Computing Corp and Insignia Solutions Ltd. All of them are part of the Windows Interface Source Environment, WISE, programme and have rights to put Windows interfaces and programming environments, like Object Linking & Embedding, on non-Windows systems. The pact goes hand-in-hand with Microsoft’s deal with Digital Equipment Corp earlier this year to make VMS Object Linking & Embedding-compliant.