Thorn EMI Computer Software, TECS, has released an MVS Extended Architecture version of its Pilot Executive Information System. By using MVS/XA, Pilot software can exceed the 16Mb addressable memory limitation of standard VMS, and go up to 2Gb. Pilot under MVS/TSO/E includes a co-operative processing architecture that integrates the IBM personal computer or compatibles and Apple Mac with the mainframe. They can act as windows into the system and access data from the mainframe and present it as a combination of text, numbers, and graphics. Pilot MVS users may also access corporate databases such as DB2 via a direct SQL interface, and with multiple read and write access to the Information System database, response times can be improved as more users are added to the system. TECS says that Pilot is intended to integrate all elements of the corporate information technology environment, including management information systems, financial support systems, marketing support systems, and external services such as value added networks. Users can examine information in a summary form and and track projects, monitor performance, analyse trends, or utilise exception reporting facilities. TECS also has a range of modifiable modules to create user-specific executive information system applications. The company says that over 50% of major European IBM users have selected MVS as their corporate operating environment, and it believes that Pilot under MVS/XA will make the software considerably to more attractive.
