Fault-tolerant systems manufacturers are finding their move into Unix paying off quickly – and computer companies that win OEM contracts with AT&T Co are finding that the company prefers to spread its favours around as widely as possible. So it is that while Tandem Computers Inc has a monster OEM contract with AT&T for its new S-2 three-processor fault-tolerant MIPS Computer Systems Inc RISC-based system, Ma Bell looks likely to give its arch-rival Stratus Computer Inc a $100m OEM contract for XA2000s running Unix for its long-distance operations. According to Electronic News, the Marlborough, Massachusetts company is believed to have beaten both Tandem and Sequioa Systems Inc to the contract, which is for systems to support the switching equipment in AT&T’s long-distance network – in particular support of 800 toll-free and 900 audiotext services. The machines will replace AT&T’s own 3B20D fault-tolerant bit-slice Unix minicomputers. Stratus is now scheduled to ship its FTX fault-tolerant implementation of Unix System V during the second half of the year. Tandem is thought to have missed out this time, because its Integrity S-2 systems are effectively non-expandable single processor machines – they have three processors but all three do the same sums and compare results to ensure all three are working correctly.
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