Helsinki, Finland-based Nokia Data Systems is preparing to awaken the Unix interests it inherited with Ericsson Information Systems two years ago, and is preparing for the introduction of a range of 80386 and 80486-based systems to begin later this year. Heralding the move, the company has developed Unicon, an Ethernet-based protocol conversion board for its proprietary Nokia 2500 bit-slice minicomputer range, enabling its systems to co-exist with Unix-based hardware. System 2500s are mostly used in the manufacturing, distribution and travel industries, and feature a Cobol-based operating system that allows around 80 users to be supported on a system with only 2Mb of main memory. But Nokia has been under increasing pressure from users requiring new applications. The Unicon link, using TCP/IP communication protocols, allows file-to-file transfer and program-to-program communications between System 2500 and Unix based systems. Nokia currently supplies the Motorola-based S20 system it buys OEM from Sun Microsystems to Unix customers, but is expected to base future hardware on Intel’s 80X86 processor range: in Sweden it has already introduced an 80386-based S10 system, which is currently in the process of being introduced into the UK. Further announcements are expected in August. Nokia Data, part of the $5,000m Nokia Group conglomerate, employs 8,000 people in Europe and has an annual turnover of over $1,000m.
