Despite concern over what appears to be overcrowding in the superworkstation market, privately-held Stellar Computer Inc claims to have set a new industry record for the fastest growing new entrant to the technical computing market, with the announcement of its revenue and product shipment results for its fiscal year ending December 31, 1988. The Newton, Massachusetts based company launched its GS1000 graphics supercomputer in March 1988, two years and three months after the formation of the company. Volume shipments began in July. According to Stellar, it has since installed over 120 systems at customer locations, and has recorded revenues of $12.7m. The company says it has manufactured a total of 200 systems, including systems for sales offices, third-party software development and transfer, and in house use. The systems have gone to 80 customers, around a third of which have apparently become repeat buyers, and Stellar achieved 44% of its business outside of the US, both through its subsidiary operations in the UK, West Germany and Japan, and through distribution and OEM agreements in Japan and South Korea, as well as in the US. Strongest sales were in the general scientific and computer-aided molecular design markets. Stellar was founded by William J Poduska, who was in at the beginning of two other computer companies, Prime Computer Inc and Apollo Computer Inc.
STELLAR SHIPS 120 SYSTEMS IN SIX MONTHS TO RECORD $12.7m IN TURNOVER
