Univel Inc will end the suspense that has enveloped its pricing structure this week when it launches its long-awaited shrinkwrapped UnixWare implementation at NetWorld in Dallas. The UnixWare family consists of three core modules: the $500 Personal Edition client, the $2,500 Application Server and the $1,000 Software Development Kit – UKP290, UKP1,470 and UKP590 in the UK. Personal Edition is Univel’s single-user version of Unix System V.4.2, designed for seamless integration with native Novell Inc NetWare. The multi-user Application Server incorporates both TCP/IP and IPX/SPX networking. It also features seamless integration with NetWare. Volume deliveries to distributors, already late, have slipped again, since last we heard, to November 30. When the core products ship there will also be add-ons available for the single-user Personal Edition. UnixWare TCP/IP & Network File System is priced at $300, Personal Utilities will cost $400 and Encryption Utilities are $100. Software Developers’ Kit add-ons will include the $400 Motif Development Tools and $350 Driver Development Tools. In the first quarter, Univel will announce other Personal Edition add-ons, including a $200 UnixWare C2 Auditing package and a $400 Windows Merge. In the same timeframe the Application Server will get a $1,000 multi-user Windows Merge, a $3,280 Veritas Advanced File System and a $200 C2 Auditing package. This first version of UnixWare will run on Intel Corp 80386 and 80486 boxes. To be able to take immediate advantage of the Novell local area network integration features of UnixWare – and Univel is primarily targeting NetWare users – customers will need to have a copy of NetWare installed already. For the record, a five-user version of NetWare 3.11 costs $1,100, a 50-user licence is $5,000. Others may buy UnixWare with the intention of adding or upgrading to a NetWare network in the future. The software is expected to be converted to run on other microprocessor architectures like the Sparc RISC further down the road. Univel says automated NetWare integration enables the Personal Edition to access NetWare immediately upon installation with no network set-up or configuration needed. The company says UnixWare provides shrink-wrapped compatibility with Santa Cruz Xenix, Santa Cruz Unix, Interactive Unix and applications written to the Intel iABI standard. Univel, a joint venture of Novell and Unix System Laboratories Inc, is the first major attempt to get Unix into volume distribution, and it will piggyback on Novell resellers.
