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L'estate Dei Grandi Accordi = NEWS L'estate dei grandi accordi Gli scenari futuri dell'informatica degli anni '90 di Paolo Ciardelli e Valter Di Dio C'è una tesi secondo la quale prima o poi i Palestinesi e gli Israeliani si metteranno d'accordo, per cui anche la Apple e la IBM non si faranno più la guerra. La prima è ancora lontana ma la seconda? Un articolo al riguardo apparso sul numero di luglio di MCmicrocomputer iniziava così: «Cosa stanno tramando le due più grosse compagnie di computer americane? /I 10 giugno John Sculley presidente della Apple Inc. si è recato, per un incontro preliminare con John Akers, negli uffici di New York della 18M. Quello che i giganti dell'informatica si siano detti resta avvolto nel più stretto riserbo; proviamo comunque a fare alcune ipotesi di quelle che potrebbero essere le linee generali dell'intesa». alle ipotesi ai fatti: l'accordo di massima, ovvero una lettera di intenti è stata stilata dalle due parti; approfondiamone i risvolti e analizziamo gli scenari Apple e 18M: per i prodotti futuri che per gli l'accordo dell'anno 70 attuali sistemi operativi. Assicura- 69 no inoltre che le applicazioni scrit- È ufficiale. Oggi 3 luglio 1991 la te per gli attuali sistemi operativi, Apple Computer Inc. e la IBM si inclusi quindi AIX, OS/2 e Macin- sono accordate per collaborare al- tosh, saranno utilizzabili in questi lo sviluppo di nuove piattaforme nuovi ambienti. di sistema aperto per gli anni '90. 55 Allo scopo di concretizzare Gli sviluppi del lavoro congiunto questo piano d'azione comune, la Fatturato IBM saranno integrati da entrambe le ~ Apple e la IBM creeranno una U) nuova società dedicata allo svi- società nella produzione attuale e :) futura, ma, cosa più importante, luppo di software di sistema che Q) :E sarà di proprietà di entrambe ma saranno anche offerte per essere ~ Q. ~ usate su computer di altri fabbri- :g 10 ~ gestita in maniera indipendente. Il suddetto software sarà com- canti. '6 ic: La lettera di intenti firmata in ! mercializzato per computer Apple 'Eca ~ data odierna copre quattro aree := :5= e IBM, ma la nuova struttura generali di interesse: joint-ventu- commerciale lo renderà ampia- :lE l 6.02 re per il software object-oriented, 5.55 mente disponibile anche per l'uso integrazione dei computer Apple 5 su sistemi di altri costruttori. Macintosh nelle soluzioni IBM Per quanto riguarda il secondo per le grandi aziende, nuovi im- punto, integrazione dei computer portanti mercati per l'architettura Apple Macintosh nelle soluzioni IBM POWER RISC e piattaforma IBM per le grandi aziende, già multimediale comune per l'indu- iniziata del resto con l'accordo sul stria. formato di accesso ai data base Per quanto al primo punto, la (DAL) e con la scelta di utilizzare Apple e la IBM intendono creare Ethernet anziché AppleTalk sui una piattaforma di software aper- nuovi Macintosh Ilfx, le due indu- to basata sulla tecnologia object- strie hanno pianificato di collabo- oriented, piattaforma che offrirà rare per una maggiore integrazio- nuove ed importanti funzionalità utente potrà essere utilizzata su hardware in- ne dei computer Macintosh negli am- e di sistema, semplificando nel contem- dustriali basati su Intel x86, Motorola bienti client/s8fVer. po lo sviluppo delle applicazioni. 680xO e l'architettura IBM RISC Sy- Del resto il rilascio del dBASE IV per La stessa coprirà una gamma estesa stem/6000 Power. 386/UNIX e l'acquisizione della Ashton- di piattaforme elaborative, gamma che Entrambe le società hanno intenzione Tate da parte della Borland va vista va dai laptop ai grandi server di rete, e di usare la tecnologia object-oriented sia (continua a pago 132) 128 MCmicrocomputer n. 110 - settembre 1991 DDOPPIA LA CAPACITA" DEI TUOI DISCHETTI ! ~ IL SUPER PERFORATORE DI PRECISIONE che trasforma ogni dischetto da 3" 112 portandolo da 720 Kbytes a 1.44Mbytes ~ rogettato in America e prodotto in Europa è stato premiato in tutto il mondo! ~ onverte oltre 200 dischi all'ora! ilestato per oltre 10.000 operazioni! [ilealizza fori rettangolari (non circolari) in modo perfetto e senza particelle, grazie al punzone a doppio rinforzo! [il obustissimo! MAXIDISK CONVERTER è costruito interamente in metallo! La nuova coloratissima confezione del [il isultato sicuro con ogni dischetto MAXIDISK CONVERTER la trovi anche a: di media qualità ! BOLOGNA FREETIME COMPUTER Via Ercolani 31G CASALE MONFERRATO (AL) DANY ITALIANA srl Via G. Manara 7 CEGGIA (VE) SARTORELLO Via Duca d'Aosta 2 CORBETTA (MI) PENATI srl Via Simone 491D CORDENONS (P N) I.M.S. COMPUTER Via Sclavons 2117B CREMA (CR) EL-COM sas Via Libero Comune 15 CREMONA PRISMAsnc Via Buoso da Novara 8 Nuovo Prezzo CUNEO ROSSI COMPUTERS Corso Nizza 42 FIRENZE FREETIME COMPUTER Viale Don Minzoni 311A GENOVA A.S.M. COMPUTERS srl Piazza De Ferrari 21R MARGHERA (VE) S.M.E. Via Orsalo 5 L.49.000 MESTRE (VE) S.M.E. Via Torino 101 MILANO MESSAGGERIE MUSICALI Galleria del Corso 2 IVA ESCLUSA MILANO NEWELsrl Via Mac Mahon 75 MILANO NIKI SHOW-ROOM Via Tavazzano 14 MODENA FREETIME COMPUTER Strada Morante 500116 '-BUON-O D'O-RDIN-E -MO~ MODENA ORSA MAGGIORE Piazza Matteotti 20 PALERMO HOME COMPUTER Via delle Alpi 50lE Vogliate spedirmi: PERUGIA FREETIME COMPUTER Via M. Angeloni 68 , N _~ Maxidisk a L. 58300 (IVA inclusa)= L. _---- PORTOGRUARO (VE) SARTORELLO Via Venezia , ROMA METROIMPORT Via Donatello 37 AlBIC Spedizione contributo fisso = L. __ 6_.0_0_0__ SUSEGANA (TV) S.M.E. Via Conegliano 57 TORINO MAGLIOLA snc Via Nicola Porpora 1 =L. _ , TORINO TV MIRAFIORI srl Corso Unione Sovietica 39·5 Totale del pagamento ZOPPOLA (P N) S.M.E. Via Udine 28 NOME _ ORDINI INDIRIZZO _ , TELEFONICI _ CAP CITTA' _ ri Pagamento: , 02-66987036 Distributore per l'Europa D Assegno di c/c non trasferibile incluso D Pagamento in contrassegno , SERVIZIO D Vaglia postale - Allego la ricevuta o copia .-- RITENDITOtl Per la fattura specificare codice fiscale e partita IVA; spedire a: FINSON 5rl- Via PL. da Palestrina, 10 - 20124 Milano ~ Via PL da Palestrina, IO - 20124 Milano ~ 02-66987027 Tel. (02) 66.98. 70 ..16 - FAX.' iO?) 669R.?n?7 NEWS dBASE diventa Borland Borland acquisisce a sorpresa la Ashton-Tatel di Paolo Ciardelli on un'operazione finanziaria di parteci- atteggiamento dunque nei confronti di una crescendo in modo irresistibile. Una rispo- C pazione incrociata, la Borland Interna- società che veniva trattata da molti colossi sta la dà il management della Borland che tionallnc. e Ashton-Tate Corporation hanno fino a poco fa come una «vulgar upstart». dichiara: «Tra i risultati della fusione vi sarà annunciato di aver raggiunto un accordo Non per niente Philippe Kahn, aveva fonda- il raggiungimento di economie di scala e di che prevede l'acquisizione di Ashton-Tate to la Borland in California quando era anco- una significativa efficienza gestionale». da parte della Borland. ra cittadino francese e quindi considerato La Borland continuerà a sviluppare Para- I termini dell'accordo, approvato all'una- dall'ufficio immigrazione un «alien», uno dox e dBASE per ambiente DOS e suppor- nimità dai consigli di amministrazione di straniero. A caldo Phillippe Kahn, presiden- tare dBASE IV su piattaforme operative entrambe le società nel tardo pomeriggio te e CEO della Borland, ha affermato che multiple, compreso 386 UNIX e SunOS, di ieri, prevedono che gli azionisti di Ash- «Borland e Ashton-Tate si completano in DEC VAX VMS e Macintosh. ton-Tate riceveranno una frazione di azione modo strategicamente eccellente e possie- I prodotti in cantiere riguardano chiara- ordinaria di Borland a un valore di mercato deranno un'organizzazione con capacità mente un linguaggio interprete dBASE ed pari a 17.50 dollari per ciascuna delle azioni tecnologiche di prodotto che soddisfaranno un compilatore sotto DOS, Windows e in loro possesso, a condizione che non le esigenze degli utenti degli anni '90. piattaforme future. Le nuove versioni per siano emesse azioni per un ammontare Questa transazione ci permetterà di offrire Windows, per il momento soprannomi nate inferiore allo 0.346 e superiore allo 0.398 una gamma completa di prodotti software Paradox per Windows ed Object dBASE e per ciascuna azione di Ashton-Tate. (dai database ai fogli elettronici, dalla grafi- di cui non si conosce la data di rilascio, Ashton-Tate possiede circa 25.1 milioni ca ai linguaggi di programmazione) tutti saranno compatibili con le precedenti, di azioni in circolazione, mentre Borland ne progettati per architetture client-server e sfrutteranno la Borland engine architecture ha circa 15 milioni. L'ammontare dell'ope- destinati ad operare su di ul")a vasta gam- e. ci sarà una trasparenza di interoperabilità razione finanziaria dovrebbe costare alla ma di piattaforme operative. E nostra inten- tra Paradox, dBASE, Btrieve, spreadsheet società di Philippe Kahn circa 439 milioni di zione proteggere gli investimenti che i e SQL data. dollari. clienti hanno già effettuato nei prodotti di Ottima dichiarazione d'intenti per la so- Il perfezionarnento della transazione, che entrambe le aziende, tra cui prodotti dBA- cietà che sorgerà in futuro, ma la domanda si prevede verrà completata entro la fine SE e Paradox, fornendo loro una agevole rimane insoddisfatta. dell'anno, sarà soggetto all'approvazione migrazione verso le tecnologie future». La politica della Borland è aggressiva e degli azionisti delle due società ed è subor- Di concerto William P. Lyons, presidente veloce, tanto che lo stesso Bill Gates am- dinato alla ricezione dei necessari benesta- e CEO di Ashton-Tate, ha dichiarato che mette: «La mia grande preoccupazione re governativi, questo per evitare un altro «questa transazione aumenta il valore cir- nella battaglia dei prezzi viene dalla Bor- caso Lotus/Novel/. Infatti ci fu una specie colante per i nostri azionisti e aumenta la land».
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