david@uhccux.UUCP (David Lassner) (01/19/88)
For what it's worth, here's the 1/15 announcement:
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Joint Development Effort with DEC
San Francisco, California. January 15, 1988. Digital Equipment Corporation
and Apple Computer, Inc. today announced a joint development effort to
integrate Macintosh(R) personal computers and AppleTalk(R) networks with
VAX(TM) systems and DECnet(TM)/OSI enterprise networks. These development
efforts will take advantage of open standards for desktop integration, based on
the industry-standard Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model of the
International Standards Organization (ISO).
"The combination of Digital's and Apple's technologies represents one of
the strongest alliances yet in the computer industry," said John Sculley,
Apple's president. "It brings together the best technologies from two of the
industry's best known innovators. The big winners will be large companies and
universities who will have new opportunities for powerful, highly integrated,
multi-vendor office systems that are easily accessible and usable."
"Digital's strategy is to provide networked server and desktop
solutions," said Kenneth Olsen, president of Digital Equipment Corporation.
"They include the VT(TM) terminal family, VAXmates(TM) and VAXstation
(TM) worksystems, designed to allow users with different needs to share
resources, information and applications across a network based on international
standards. Digital also integrates other quality desktop systems -- the
development efforts with Apple will extend that integration to our customers
who use and love the Macintosh, and will advance
the movement toward the OSI international standards."
A growing number of companies use both Macintosh personal computers and
Digital networked systems. Studies have shown that about 36 percent of VAX
sites now use Macintosh and customers are actively seeking ways to integrate
and enhance these systems. The joint development effort will address these
customer needs.
Also, according to the companies, independent software vendors (ISV's)
will benefit. The joint development effort will provide a consistent set of
application programming interfaces which developers will use to write
distributed applications, leverage industry-standard networks, and interchange
documents.
Under the joint development effort, Macintosh applications will be able
to access information from and share resources with VAX systems and networks.
These applications will use VAX-based services to connect Macintosh computers
on an AppleTalk network to Digital systems on an enterprise-wide network,
DECnet/OSI.
The Digital and Apple development efforts are intended to accomplish the
following:
-- Distributed Applications Methodology. Distributed applications will
be able to access VAX-based services using process-to-process communication
methods.
-- File sharing. Macintosh computers will be able to access files
stored on VAX systems using the AppleTalk Filing Protocol (AFP).
-- Document interchange. Revisable form documents created on Macintosh
and VAX will be interchanged utilizing the ISO/ODA standard via Digital
Document Interchange Format(TM) (DDIF).
-- Printing. Macintosh and VAX users will be able to use both Digital
and Apple PostScript(R) printers on the network.
-- Terminal emulation. Macintosh computers will be able to emulate
Digital terminals to access computers over DECnet/OSI networks. Terminal
emulation will support both ASCII characters as well as X-Windows graphics.
-- Electronic Mail. Macintosh electronic mail applications will be able
to communicate with Digital electronic mail services, including ALL-IN-1(TM)
and X.400.
-- Conferencing. Macintosh computers will be able to participate in the
VAX Notes(TM) electronic conference facility and VAX VTX(TM) corporate
videotex.
-- Database. Database standards and capabilities will be jointly
specified allowing Macintosh applications to access data on VAX systems over
DECnet/OSI.
-- Networking. DECnet/OSI Phase V will be used to integrate AppleTalk
networks into wide area networks.
-- Network Management. Customers will be able to manage DECnet/OSI and
AppleTalk networks in a unified way.
Digital and Apple are making no product announcements today. The
companies are planning a joint developers conference in August where technical
specifications will be published.
Cupertino, California-based Apple Computer, Inc. is a leading producer of
personal computers, related peripherals and systems software. Its products are
sold through a worldwide network of computer dealers, value-added resellers,
system integrators, and through a direct sales force.
Digital Equipment Corporation, headquartered in Maynard, Massachusetts,
is the world's leading manufacturer of networked computer systems and
associated peripheral equipment and the leader in systems integration with its
networks, communications, software, and services.
Apple, the Apple logo, Macintosh, and AppleTalk are registered trademarks of
Apple Computer, Inc.
VAX, DECnet, VT, VAXmates,VAXstations, Digital Document Interchange Format,
ALL-IN-1, VAX Notes, and VAX VTX are trademarks of Digital Equipment
Corporation.
PostScript is a registered trademark of Adobe Systems, Incorporated.
--
David Lassner, University of Hawaii Computing Center, 808/948-7351
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