IBM, which has already established a systems integration joint venture with Dassault SA in the French market (CI No 1,554) is reportedly negotiating with the defence electronics firm to buy all or a part of the Dassault Systemes business that develops the Catia large-scale computer-aided design program. According to Electronic News, Catia, which IBM markets only on its 370-type mainframes, is threatening to become an all-too-effective competitor for Cadam, which IBM now owns outright, in the market on which IBM is increasingly depending to make the RS/6000 Unix machine a commercial success. The RS/6000 version of Cadam is the one that was originally developed for Apollo Computer Inc workstations, and it is not clear which product IBM would make its flagship if it could gain control of Catia as well; it has long offered both on its mainframes, but Cadam is dominant and accounts for about 70% of CAD/CAM software and related hardware sales totalling about $1,800m a year. Nevertheless competitors say that Catia is IBM’s key offensive product these days, particularly in three-dimensional applications; versions of various of the programs that make up the Catia suite are being developed for the RS/6000, but initially at least, they will need the pricey IBM 5085 graphics terminal system front-ending the RS/6000.
