Informix Software Inc has signed with widely-fancied UK software developer Systematica Ltd, Bournemouth, Hampshire for its Virtual Software Factory software engineering tool generator that will net the Plessey spin-off several million dollars a year, according to chief executive officer Andrew Wells. The company was born in its present form two years ago and now has a turnover of around UKP4.5m. OpenCase/SSADM – an implementation of Systematica’s VSF/SSADM for the Informix database, including the OnLine transaction processing version – is the first stage of Informix’s worldwide OpenCase programme, which will see further additions over time. An initial release, set for the end of the year, will provide database schema generation facilities in Informix SQL. An upgraded version will add the capability to generate forms, reports and applications automatically and is expected in the second half of next year at from UKP5,000 to UKP10,000 per user. OpenCase/SSADM will be available on Sun-3 and Sun-4 workstations running SunView, on DECstation 3100s running DECwindows and Motif, and on personal computers with OS/2 and Presentation Manager. An IBM RS/6000 version will be out in the second quarter of next year. It is aimed mainly at the UK market, where the Central Computer & Telecommunications Agency has already standardised on SSADM, but will also be available on the continent and in the US and the two firms are confident that following meetings between the UK, French and West German governments that a Europe-wide standard methodology will emerge based on SSADM rather than its French equivalent, Merise. Informix is the first of two major US software companies that Systematica has won over to VSF (CI No 1,450), the other will be revealed soon, says Wells.
