- Email: [email protected]
Modems for IBM
OA linked to mainframe Sperry Computer Systems, as Sperry Univac will be called from April 1983, has now entered the office automation arena with the announcement of Sperrylink. According to Bill Read, vice-president of Sperry UK, Sperrylink is different from other office systems in that it was designed top-down, starting with the database in the mainframe and coming down to the desktop. In fact Sperrylink is being marketed primarily only to Univac 1100 mainframe users. This is because the real payoff is from electronic mail, says Sperry, and large users would show the greatest benefit. The Sperrylink deskstation can operate standalone, as part of a group linked by a single Distributed Office Processing Station (DOPS), or as an interface to the mainframe. The DOPS acts as a controller for up to 15 deskstations, providing functions such as electronic mail, administrative services, additional storage and an interface to the mainframe. Voice processing is also to form part of the Sperrylink office. The Voice Information Processing System will provide up to 1 000 users with the ability to send and receive messages from a touchtone equipped telephone. The VIP system, which allows messages to be stored, and flags system users when they have waiting messages, is designed to work in conjunction with Private Automatic Branch Exchanges. It can be installed as a standalone system. Further to this, Sperry Computer Systems has announced a cooperation agreement with Northern Telecom Inc. to ensure compatibility of their future products. The companies
38
IBM networkusing 3M’s modem. have established a test site at Salt Lake City, where Sperry’s communications and terminals headquarters is based, where NTI’s SL- 1 PBX is being used in conjunction with Sperrylink, operating as the local area network vehicle for the office system. Sperrylink offers personal computing, word processing, administrative services and electronic mail. In the USA and Canada the EMS can now access the Western Union’s combined store/forward message delivery systems. This opens to Sperrylink users services such as teletypewriter, telex, mailgram, telegram and cablegram, and high-speed store and forward facilities. Sperrylink will also support Mapper, the application generation package. A pilot project for Sperrylink itself has been running at the 3M Corporation since 1981. The site has 140 deskstations and 10 DOPS systems. A recent order from the 3M Corporation will triple the size of the installation. The first order to be taken in the UK for Sperrylink comes from the Merlin Geophysical Company. (Sperry Computer syste?ns, Stonebridge Park, North Circular Road, London NW10 US, UK. Tel: 01-965 0511.) 0
Query language An alternative to IBM’s relational database query language, SQL, has been developed by Sydney Development, a Canadian software Brm. Sydney’s product, called Conquest, offers colour business graphics, which it says, is not available on the IBM or many other competitive systems. Conquest runs under VMI CMS or MVSTSO, and has its own high-level command and data definition language. The query language is part of a planned family of decision support products which will be marketed under the name Conquer. It is the first system product to be produced from funds made available in Canada through the Sydney Advanced Technology Ltd Partnership, a tax shelter which raised C$7.79M in December 1981, followed by a similar amount in September 1982. Also announced by Sydney are a library system for Datapoint minis - originally developed by Easy Data Systems Ltd, and a project management system for larger IBM machines. Scheduling and resource
levelling form the major part of the modules. (Sydney Development Company (UK) Ltd, 13 Wilton Place, London SWlX 8RL, UK. Tel: 01-2352939.) 0
Modems for IBM 3M has launched a range 01 baseband modems aimed at simplifying IBM network communications. The 6600 series provides transparent highspeed communications between an IBM 3274 control unit and up to 32 remote terminals, over a single existing RG-62 U coaxial cable. The terminals can be groups of 4, 8 or 32. This replaces the usual methods of connecting each terminal to the control unit by a separate cable, or via a telecommunications unit. The system can also be used with IBM 7274 control units located remotely and connected to the mainframe by a telecommunications link. There are three models in the series. The 6632 is a 32 port unit, the 6608 an eight port unit, and the 6604 has four ports. All models operate by multiplexing data from IBM equipment into a single data stream, which is then transmitted over the coaxial cable to be
data processing
and services
products
emultiplexed at the remote erminals. Connection between the modems and the IBM equiplent is by RG-62U cables, not lore than about 90m long. ‘he modems allow the 3274 to le locally attached to the host ystem when the terminals are {ithin a total 900m cable dismce of the control unit. (ZnTractive Systems Group, 3M JK PLC,
3M House, PO Box
, Bracknell, Berks RG12 IJlJ, JK. Tel: (0344) 26726.)
!
0
400 bit/s modem
speed and modulation of incoming calls. The modem supports all present half and full duplex protocols, including HDLC, SDLC, X.25 and teletex. Other features include automatic adaptive equalization and local and remote diagnostics. Also included are automatic answering of incoming calls and user selection of dial or leased line access. The modem is available from CDS or its distributors. (CDS, 442 Marrett Road,
Lexington
USA.
Tel:
DaCom
Systems Ltd, 200 Con-
niburrow
7AH,
02173,
863
Boulevard,
Keynes MK14
1 2 400 bit/s modem, dereloped for the international market, and conforming to the ZCITT Recommendation V.22 s announced by CDS. The :DS V.22bis is a full duplex ha1 modem, operating in syn,hronous and asynchronous nodes. An automatic 1 200 bit/ fallback mode is featured, Illowing a centrally located :DS V.22bis to accept data ram 1 200 or 2 400 bit’s mod:ms by adjusting itself to the
MA
(617)
1472. Milton
UK.
(0908) 676797.)
Tel: 0
32 bit personal mini Hewlett-Packard has announced the 32-bit HP 9000, the culmination of its largest R&D project ever ($lOOM) according to John Young, president and chief executive officer of Hewlett-Packard. The HP 9000, which is aimed at scientific and technic-
incorporates new al users :hips, designed and manufactured by Hewlett-Packard. These chips can have up to 600 000 transistors and are the result of a fabrication process of over 300 steps. The small size of the chips has allowed Hewlett-Packard to produce a minicomputer not much larger than a personal computer workstation. The HP 9000 can either be used in a single CPU configuration or, for more powerful applications, extra 32 bit CPUs can be added. The HP 9000 system runs on HP-UX, which is Unix-based, &plays two- and three-dimensional graphics as well as being compatible with an Ethernettype LAN. The system has been designed for use in applications such as computerengineering, factory aided automation, and operational planning and control. Third party software applications are likely to be available in 6-9 months time. The price of the 9000 workstations range from 519 768 to 545 185. FHewlett-Packard
Company,
3000 Hanover Street, Palo Alto, Hewlett-Packard’s
personal 32 bit mzni
CA 94304, USA. Tel: (415) 857 1501.)
Cl
24-hour petrol 24-hour petrol could become common in UK forcourts if the automatic credit charging system being marketed by Ambitron takes off. The Sentinel system comprises a forecourt controller, into which customers insert their credit card and PIN number. The controller will verify the customer’s account status before allowing any petrol to be bought on credit. If the account is not blacklisted the customer keys in the number of a free pump. The controller records the transaction, issues#a receipt if necessary,
~0125 no 1
januaryifebruary
1983
Electronic credit card s?/stem for the qarageforecourt.
and will either update the customer’s credit card account immediately, or will store the information for later transmission, depending on the mode of operation. Five hundred similar units are in use in Belgium, where the system was developed by Cableprint NV. The company is also talking to a group in Israel about installing further systems. Apart from the convenience of 24-hour petrol for customers, Ambitron puts forward other advantages, such as lower cash levels in tills, and the benefits to fleet-owners of the ability to prescribe limits on fuel allowed on a card. However, the efficiency of such a system, if it is to work online to credit card bureaux computers, depends on a good, reasonably priced communications network. Leased lines work out too expensive at present, so either users would store data locally for later transmission, or they wait until the Packet-Switched Network is more widespread, i.e. until about 1985. (Ambitron Ltd, 13 The Paddock Hambridge
Industrial Estate, Road,
Newbqv,
Berkshire KG15 STQ, UK. Tel: (0635) 32055.
j
0
39
38
IBM networkusing 3M’s modem. have established a test site at Salt Lake City, where Sperry’s communications and terminals headquarters is based, where NTI’s SL- 1 PBX is being used in conjunction with Sperrylink, operating as the local area network vehicle for the office system. Sperrylink offers personal computing, word processing, administrative services and electronic mail. In the USA and Canada the EMS can now access the Western Union’s combined store/forward message delivery systems. This opens to Sperrylink users services such as teletypewriter, telex, mailgram, telegram and cablegram, and high-speed store and forward facilities. Sperrylink will also support Mapper, the application generation package. A pilot project for Sperrylink itself has been running at the 3M Corporation since 1981. The site has 140 deskstations and 10 DOPS systems. A recent order from the 3M Corporation will triple the size of the installation. The first order to be taken in the UK for Sperrylink comes from the Merlin Geophysical Company. (Sperry Computer syste?ns, Stonebridge Park, North Circular Road, London NW10 US, UK. Tel: 01-965 0511.) 0
Query language An alternative to IBM’s relational database query language, SQL, has been developed by Sydney Development, a Canadian software Brm. Sydney’s product, called Conquest, offers colour business graphics, which it says, is not available on the IBM or many other competitive systems. Conquest runs under VMI CMS or MVSTSO, and has its own high-level command and data definition language. The query language is part of a planned family of decision support products which will be marketed under the name Conquer. It is the first system product to be produced from funds made available in Canada through the Sydney Advanced Technology Ltd Partnership, a tax shelter which raised C$7.79M in December 1981, followed by a similar amount in September 1982. Also announced by Sydney are a library system for Datapoint minis - originally developed by Easy Data Systems Ltd, and a project management system for larger IBM machines. Scheduling and resource
levelling form the major part of the modules. (Sydney Development Company (UK) Ltd, 13 Wilton Place, London SWlX 8RL, UK. Tel: 01-2352939.) 0
Modems for IBM 3M has launched a range 01 baseband modems aimed at simplifying IBM network communications. The 6600 series provides transparent highspeed communications between an IBM 3274 control unit and up to 32 remote terminals, over a single existing RG-62 U coaxial cable. The terminals can be groups of 4, 8 or 32. This replaces the usual methods of connecting each terminal to the control unit by a separate cable, or via a telecommunications unit. The system can also be used with IBM 7274 control units located remotely and connected to the mainframe by a telecommunications link. There are three models in the series. The 6632 is a 32 port unit, the 6608 an eight port unit, and the 6604 has four ports. All models operate by multiplexing data from IBM equipment into a single data stream, which is then transmitted over the coaxial cable to be
data processing
and services
products
emultiplexed at the remote erminals. Connection between the modems and the IBM equiplent is by RG-62U cables, not lore than about 90m long. ‘he modems allow the 3274 to le locally attached to the host ystem when the terminals are {ithin a total 900m cable dismce of the control unit. (ZnTractive Systems Group, 3M JK PLC,
3M House, PO Box
, Bracknell, Berks RG12 IJlJ, JK. Tel: (0344) 26726.)
!
0
400 bit/s modem
speed and modulation of incoming calls. The modem supports all present half and full duplex protocols, including HDLC, SDLC, X.25 and teletex. Other features include automatic adaptive equalization and local and remote diagnostics. Also included are automatic answering of incoming calls and user selection of dial or leased line access. The modem is available from CDS or its distributors. (CDS, 442 Marrett Road,
Lexington
USA.
Tel:
DaCom
Systems Ltd, 200 Con-
niburrow
7AH,
02173,
863
Boulevard,
Keynes MK14
1 2 400 bit/s modem, dereloped for the international market, and conforming to the ZCITT Recommendation V.22 s announced by CDS. The :DS V.22bis is a full duplex ha1 modem, operating in syn,hronous and asynchronous nodes. An automatic 1 200 bit/ fallback mode is featured, Illowing a centrally located :DS V.22bis to accept data ram 1 200 or 2 400 bit’s mod:ms by adjusting itself to the
MA
(617)
1472. Milton
UK.
(0908) 676797.)
Tel: 0
32 bit personal mini Hewlett-Packard has announced the 32-bit HP 9000, the culmination of its largest R&D project ever ($lOOM) according to John Young, president and chief executive officer of Hewlett-Packard. The HP 9000, which is aimed at scientific and technic-
incorporates new al users :hips, designed and manufactured by Hewlett-Packard. These chips can have up to 600 000 transistors and are the result of a fabrication process of over 300 steps. The small size of the chips has allowed Hewlett-Packard to produce a minicomputer not much larger than a personal computer workstation. The HP 9000 can either be used in a single CPU configuration or, for more powerful applications, extra 32 bit CPUs can be added. The HP 9000 system runs on HP-UX, which is Unix-based, &plays two- and three-dimensional graphics as well as being compatible with an Ethernettype LAN. The system has been designed for use in applications such as computerengineering, factory aided automation, and operational planning and control. Third party software applications are likely to be available in 6-9 months time. The price of the 9000 workstations range from 519 768 to 545 185. FHewlett-Packard
Company,
3000 Hanover Street, Palo Alto, Hewlett-Packard’s
personal 32 bit mzni
CA 94304, USA. Tel: (415) 857 1501.)
Cl
24-hour petrol 24-hour petrol could become common in UK forcourts if the automatic credit charging system being marketed by Ambitron takes off. The Sentinel system comprises a forecourt controller, into which customers insert their credit card and PIN number. The controller will verify the customer’s account status before allowing any petrol to be bought on credit. If the account is not blacklisted the customer keys in the number of a free pump. The controller records the transaction, issues#a receipt if necessary,
~0125 no 1
januaryifebruary
1983
Electronic credit card s?/stem for the qarageforecourt.
and will either update the customer’s credit card account immediately, or will store the information for later transmission, depending on the mode of operation. Five hundred similar units are in use in Belgium, where the system was developed by Cableprint NV. The company is also talking to a group in Israel about installing further systems. Apart from the convenience of 24-hour petrol for customers, Ambitron puts forward other advantages, such as lower cash levels in tills, and the benefits to fleet-owners of the ability to prescribe limits on fuel allowed on a card. However, the efficiency of such a system, if it is to work online to credit card bureaux computers, depends on a good, reasonably priced communications network. Leased lines work out too expensive at present, so either users would store data locally for later transmission, or they wait until the Packet-Switched Network is more widespread, i.e. until about 1985. (Ambitron Ltd, 13 The Paddock Hambridge
Industrial Estate, Road,
Newbqv,
Berkshire KG15 STQ, UK. Tel: (0635) 32055.
j
0
39