The Business Systems division of Root Computers Ltd is considering the launch of a transaction processing monitor for Unix, which we assume will be a package born out of the work done with Hoskyns. Root teamed up with Hoskyns to convert the latter’s IBM mainframe-based MAS Modular Applications Software to a Unix environment. The core of the development effort was a year and a half’s work producing software to emulate all the facilities of the IBM CICS Translation Processor Monitor. The transaction processing market is an area that is currently being looked at by many of the majors in the Unix world, and the X/Open applications portability body has said that this is the next area that it will be addressing, but few products actually exist as yet, so that any Root product would be likely to generate considerable interest, particularly among companies like Texas Instruments that are hoping to cannibalise the host of IBM mainframe Cobol applications for its new Unix family of supermicros.
