Pilot Executive Software, the Chertsey, Surrey subsidiary of Pilot Software Inc announced its TimeServer 1.0. product. Described as a multi-dimensional data server, it can collapse and expand data according to the user’s preferred time frame; display cumulative data such as year-to-date, moving totals and averages; and can move around various fiscal calendars without the need for reprogramming. It enables to information to be viewed according to varying categories such as region or product line and in hierarchical levels such as city to state to country through which the user can navigate. It requires a minimum 4Mb on a 20MHz 80386SX processor and VGA monitor and is operable with Dynamic Data Exchange Products such as Microsoft Corp Excel, Lotus Development Corp 1-2-3 and Pilot’s own Lightship. Lightship is a visual information access system for Windows. Version 3.2 featuring a more powerful and simplified menu builder, on-screen object and group naming capabilities and expanded Dynamic Link Library is also available now for UKP800. TimeServer 1.0 costs UKP7,000 for a licence for five users – the more users, the lower the per-user price. It runs on networked personal computers under Windows 3.1 only, but a client-server version for IBM Corp RS/6000 and Digital Equipment Corp VAXes is expected by the end of the year, and IBM MVS, OS/2 and other Unix-based versions are scheduled for 1993. It will not be available in the UK until early next year since, according to Pilot chairman David Friend there is already ‘more interest than we can handle’. So far all 14 US beta-sites have purchased the product and sales of between $10m and $20m are anticipated. Pilot’s acquisition of Techgnosis International Inc (CI No 1,961) is also progressing well: the deal should be sealed over the next few weeks – offering yet more prospects for expansion. Techgnosis’ client-server products will be added to Pilot’s distribution list.
