The Open Software Foundation has released its second snapshot of its OSF/1 alternative Unix to members of its early access programme, and revealed a pricing policy significantly undercutting AT&T’s Unix System V, and providing a simplified pricing structure. The new snapshot includes additional kernel functionality, Streams, transport layer interface, loader, language tools and documentation. OSF/1 is now promised for November. And the Foundation said that the results of its Distributed Communications Environmnent Request for Technology would be revealed at its Boston members meeting in early May director of technology Ira Goldstein said the product would move away from the current restrictions of Network File System with a more sophisticated cacheing file system. Products resulting from the choice, which will come from more than one source, will be available this year, said the Foundation. The Foundation is also to initiate an Open Systems Interconnection Focus group following the release of the environment, aimed at the European market. On pricing, the Foundation made much play of its aggressive, simplified pricing of the software. For a single CPU source code licence, it will charge $50,000, including full redistribution rights. Without redistribution rights this is reduced down to $25,000, while source for each additional CPU costs $3,000. After the initial source licence has been paid for, licensees also have the option of a commercial site licence for $50,000. Single binary licence fees range from $65 down to $13 per copy at maximum volume discount, regardless of system type. For universities, a special site licence of $5,000 is available, allowing source and binary copies to be distributed throughout the campus. Prices include elements within OSF/1 such as TCP/IP, B1 security and the Network File System-compatible file system developed by the University of Berkeley in California. Although the Foundation’s future plans involve a move away from use of AT&T code, OSF/1 requires a minimum of an AT&T Unix System V.2 licence, but AT&T now supplies only V.3 licences, which cost around $70,000 – most systems manufacturers already hold such a licence, however. Those members that, in the words of the Found-ation choose to licence OSF technology, will get bi-monthly snapshots of the code until the time when the product is generally available.
