Speculation that Data General Corp will be Sun Microsystems Inc’s next Solaris x86 licensee was raised last week when SunSoft said at its regular tete-a-tete with analysts that it has another OEM for its Intel Unix in its pocket to be announced in March. Other possibles include Unisys Corp – although its Unix interests are being sidelined – Siemens Nixdorf Informationssystemes AG, which is seeking a 64-bit technology for use on its Sinix-based Intel servers as well as a technology partner for its Siemens Pyramid Information Systems Inc’s MIPS RISC-based Reliant Unix; and IBM Corp, which already has commitments to SCO’s UnixWare on its PC servers. While ccNUMA server vendor Sequent Computer Systems Inc has hitched its 64-bit Unix-on-Intel horse to the Digital Equipment Corp wagon there remains a question mark over Data General Corp’s long-term Unix plans. A ccNUMA-enabled version of UnixWare which Santa Cruz Operation Inc was developing for DG and its prospective AViiON OEMs such as Fujitsu/ICL doesn’t appear on any of our radar screens. Certainly Fujitsu/ICL has walked away from any agreement. DG’s plan called for UnixWare to supersede – or at least co-exist – with DG/UX over time. Now DG says it will continue to enhance DG/UX and plans a Merced implementation of the operating system DG/UX. DG admits it’s talking with just about everyone about partnering on future Unix development. Merrill Lynch & Co’s Steve Milunovich estimates that SunSoft’s third-party revenue represents about 8% of Sun’s total revenue. Sun told the bank it thinks its recent deal with Intel on developing Solaris x86 for Merced came in time for Solaris to be ported over by the time Merced actually ships, eliminating any advantage Hewlett-Packard Co might have as co-developer of Merced.
