Siemens is set to launch a Sun Microsystems Network File System compatible distributed file system, PC/DFS, this month, and will use to link up its entire range of Unix and Xenix systems with MS-DOS AT-alikes. Most of the development work has been done at the 26-man Systems Development Group building at Woodley, Berkshire, but a major US networking company is also involved in the product, which is to be sold in the US as well as Europe. PC/DFS will enable Unix and MS-DOS to share the same file structure, with MS-DOS on the user side. The idea is to combine the advantages of centralised control with transparent distributed access to the network. Intelligent operator assistance software is promised for the future, and access to Siemens mainframes is also supported. A DEC VT100 emulator for Siemens 97801 terminals, PC-TERM has also been developed at Woodley, and is currently under evaluation in Munich – it will also run in conjunction with PC/DFS. Siemens is promising to show at least some of the technology at the Which Computer? Show this month, where it will also be demonstrating a new low-end workstation that is based on the National Semiconductor NS32032 chip.
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