Partner/Common Interface Specification for UNIX-based Operating Systems
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Digital Equipment Corporation
Maynard, Massachusetts 01754-2571
Editorial contact:
Bob Price
Digital Equipment Corporation
508-493-4287
Tim Hurley/Mel Webster
Copithorne & Bellows
617/252-0606
INDUSTRY LEADERS AGREE ON COMMON
INTERFACE SPECIFICATION FOR UNIX-BASED OPERATING SYSTEMS
OSF, UI Member Companies to Review Specification
X/Open to Manage Ongoing Evolution
NEW YORK, NY -- September 1, 1993 -- More than 75 of the world's
leading UNIX system suppliers and software developers today announced
agreement on a comprehensive specification defining a common set of
application programming interfaces (APIs) for UNIX-based operating
systems. The common API specification enhances the portability of UNIX
system-based applications, while maintaining the benefits of having
multiple, competitive implementations of the operating system.
This specification will provide significant new benefits for
developers and end-users. Developers will be able to write a single
version of each application and recompile to make it available across
all compliant UNIX system platforms. In addition, the specification
allows developers to continue to exploit the unique functions that will
be found in different vendors' implementations. End users will benefit
from increased application availability, while taking advantage of
choice, innovation and performance optimization.
X/Open Company Ltd. has agreed to formalize industry consensus, to
brand compliant product implementations, and to manage the evolution of
the common UNIX system-based API specification. The specification
development and review process has received the support of UNIX system
suppliers representing approximately 90 percent of the worldwide UNIX
system market, according to International Data Corp., a market research
firm based in Framingham, Mass. All organizations have agreed to
participate in the industry-wide review process.
"The release of this specification for a common set of UNIX
system-based APIs is a watershed event for vendors and users," said
Geoff Morris, president and chief executive officer of X/Open. "This
initiative increases the choice of solutions for companies that have
adopted open systems strategies incorporating UNIX-system based
platforms. We expect that the combination of this common specification
with the X/Open brand will accelerate the implementation of open
systems to achieve increased business advantage."
The APIs were selected based on formal industry standards (X/Open
Portability Guide (XPG) and widely supported specifications (System V
Interface Definition (SVID) and Application Environment Specification
(AES) and API usage data from leading UNIX system-based applications
from vendors, including: Autodesk, Cadence Design Systems, Cadre
Technologies Inc., Frame Technology Corp., Informix Software Inc.,
Island Graphics Corp., Lotus Development Corp., Oracle Corp. and the
WordPerfect Corporation.
This process of selecting APIs based on their industry acceptance
differentiates this effort from previous standardization attempts, will
result in increased portability for many existing applications and will
simplify the porting process for other applications. No other
operating system adheres to this level of standardization, while
simultaneously offering this range of portability, scalability and
choice of platforms.
"Our biggest fundamental challenge in making our applications
available to users on various UNIX system platforms has been adjusting
to the differences in each UNIX-based operating system. This new
specification will more easily enable us to continue to provide the
industry's leading UNIX-based solutions," said Kurk Seibert, CA senior
vice president of strategic business alliances, Computer Associates
International, Inc. "The collaborative effort of the major UNIX system
suppliers gathered here today opens the door for companies to leverage
business opportunities in the fast-growth UNIX system market."
"Lotus strongly supports this effort, which will simplify the
porting of applications to different UNIX system platforms. The common
API specification will benefit the entire industry and allow a
multitude of organizations and developers to deliver UNIX applications
that will meet the diverse needs of the industry," said David Rome,
general manager of communications companion products, Lotus Development
Corp. "Today's announcement is an aggressive and important step for
open systems and UNIX."
"The business implications of a unified set of UNIX system-based
APIs are promising," said Marc Schulman, president of Technology
Strategies Group. "This specifications means that the cost and
complexity of the development and use of UNIX-system based applications
will be reduced, and the freeing of these resources will provide the
financial wherewithal to develop and implement higher functionality
applications."
An industry workgroup consisting of UNIX system vendors, the Open
Software Foundation (OSF) and UNIX International, Inc. (UI), adhering
to principles outlined by the common open software environment process
announced earlier this year, has created the initial draft
specification and will work with X/Open to review and complete this
specification.
The following companies and organizations are indicating their
support for this specification development and will participate in the
review process:
Acer Amdahl Corp.
Apple Computer, Inc. AT&T/NCR Corp.
Autodesk Banyan Systems, Inc.
Bellcore Bentley Systems, Inc.
Bull Worldwide Information Sys. Cadence Design Systems
Cadre Technologies Inc. Chorus Systems
Computer Associates Int'l, Inc. Convex Computer Corp.
Cray Research, Inc. Data General Corp.
DHL Worldwide Express DigiBoard
Digital Equipment Corp. EDS Unigraphics
Encore Computer Corp. Frame Technology Corp.
Fuji Xerox 88open Consortium, Ltd.
Fujitsu HaL Computer Systems
Hewlett-Packard Company Hitachi, Ltd.
IBM Corp. ICL
Informix Software Inc. Integrated Computer Solutions
Island Graphics Corp. Lachman Technology Inc.
Locus Computing Corp. Lotus Development Corp.
Matsushita Electric Ind. Co. McDonald's Corp.
Mentor Graphics Corp. MIPS ABI Group
Mitsubishi Electric Corp. Motorola Computer Group
NEC Corp. Novell-UNIX System Laboratories(USL)
Oki Electric Industries Co.,Ltd. Olivetti S.p.A.
Open Software Foundation Oracle Corporation
Pencom PowerOpen Association, Inc.
Precision Risc Organization Pyramid Technology Corp.
the Santa Cruz Operation Sequent Computer Systems, Inc.
Sequoia Systems, Inc. SHARP Corporation
Siemens Nixdorf Silicon Graphics Computer Sys., Inc.
Software AG of North America Sony Corp.
SPARC International Stratus Computer, Inc.
SunPics SunSelect
SunSoft Tadpole Technology PLC
Tandem Computers Inc. THOMPSON-CSF/CETIA
Toshiba Corp. Unisys
UNIX International, Inc. VERITAS Software
Wal*Mart Stores, Inc. Wang Laboratories, Inc.
the WordPerfect Corporation
"The development and ultimate adoption of a standard set of UNIX
system-based APIs is very exciting for our company," said Len Hanlock,
chief information officer for DHL Worldwide Express. "When commercial
products that conform to the standard are available off the shelf, the
potential of open systems will be greatly enhanced."
The specification to be reviewed by member companies of the OSF and
UI and received by X/Open is an extension of the XPG and will add to it
the SVID Edition 3 level 1 base APIs currently incorporated in USL's
SVID3, and full-use APIs from the OSF's AES Operating System
Programming Interfaces (OSPI). The specification also includes other
widely-used interfaces, including Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD)
4.3 Reno Sockets and TCP/IP.
Industry Review Process
The Draft specification will be available this month through the
OSF and UI, to their members and other parties worldwide for industry
review. It is expected this industry feedback will aid in facilitating
approval and adoption of the specification by X/Open. Following this
initial phase, the specification will be submitted to X/Open in
November and put through the Fast Track process. The Fast Track
process allows high quality specifications with broad industry support
to be integrated quickly into X/Open's XPG. Upon successful completion
of this process, test suites will be developed for verification and for
X/Open branding of products in compliance with the specification.
This process will enable UNIX system vendors to deliver
standardized documentation to software developers during the first half
of 1994.
Today's announcement reinforces the position of UNIX-based systems
as the premier 32-bit and 64-bit operating environment for open
systems. The common API specifications for UNIX-based operating
systems will be freely available to all organizations.
####
Note to Editors: OSF is a trademark of the Open Software Foundation, Inc.
UNIX is a registered trademark of UNIX System Laboratories,
Inc. in the United States and other countries.
X/Open and the "X" device are registered trademarks of
X/Open Company Ltd. in the U.K. and other countries.
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