One of IBM Corp’s lower profile object ventures was set up in 1993 with UK company Softwright Ltd, to form the Newbury, Berkshire-based company Integrated Objects, and last week it came out with Newi Solo, claimed to be the world’s first business object starter kit. Newi stands for New World Infrastructure, and first emerged last year. It is a piece of Common Object Request Broker Architecture-compliant middleware that will enable objects written in C, C++, Cobol, REXX or RPG to co-exist. Eighteen months ago when it was first launched, Newi ran only under OS/2 and Windows, but now also runs on AS/400 and RS/6000 systems. The starter kit is called Newi Solo and runs on stand-alone personal computers. It is a cut-down version for developers building simple object offerings and the company expects users to cut their business object teeth on Newi Solo and then move up to the full product. It will be out next quarter, priced at #500 in the UK. The full version, which is now in use at customers in the finance, utilities and video telephony businesses, costs #2,000 on Windows and OS/2, with run-time licences at #100; other system prices on application. Its chairman, Martin Anderson is also the European chairman of the Object Management Group’s Business Object Management Special Interest Group.
