Arix Corp, shaping up as one of the survivors among the host of micro-based Unix systems manufacturers born in the early 1980s, plans to take a decisive leap upmarket with the acquisition of privately-held Edgcore Technology Inc, the Phoenix, Arizona company that has reimplemented the architecture of the Motorola 68000 family of microprocessors on gate array chip sets that deliver performance well beyond that of the new 68040. Arix, of Santa Clara, California is particularly interested in the OEM relationships Edgcore has with Hitachi Ltd, Philips International and Olivetti SpA – as well as Motorola Inc, which is taking the Edge machines to top off its own OEM line. Edgcore builds multiprocessor machines to support over 500 users under Unix and Pick around the chip sets. Arix is also planning to skip the 68030 in its own machines and upgrade straight to the 68040.
