Another local subsidiary emulating its US parent is Tandem Computers Japan, which is taking the concept of the Tandem Alliance across the Pacific: the effort, to increase the range of software available for Tandem’s NonStops, will start out with 20 Alliance members, with a target of 50 within the fairly near term; firms already signed up include major software companies such as Ines and M & C Systems from the Marui group, and Sumitomo Trading company and its subsidiary Sumiden Systems Research Institute, as well as the previous distributors of Tandem equipment, Toyo Information Systems, Mitsui Zoosen Systems and Digital Computer Ltd; there are three ranks within the group – distributors, software contractors, and sales agents; after liberalisation of the domestic telecommunications market, demand for fault-tolerant computers for use in online nets is growing fast.
