As reported in February (CI No 1,108) SyFA Data Systems Plc has entered the Unix arena by badging Motorola Computer Systems machines running Unix System V.3. This strategy requires some explanation from a company which has hitherto made its revenue from totally proprietary transaction processing hardware and software. The problem, understandably, is that SyFA can no longer afford to compete in hardware terms with IBM and DEC, so that it has to find a way to give extra life to its installed user base for its TS and SV systems, as well as refocussing the company. The key to all this is seen as Unix. For Open Systems can be marketed as a gateway to integrate existing proprietary TS and SV systems united via the proprietary EASy architecture, while the move to Unix (as we should all know by now) necessitates a corporate concentration on services and applications thereby paving the way for SyFA to move out of expensive hardware research and development. Currently around 60% of SyFA’s UKP4.7m annual turnover is derived from hardware, but over the next few years marketing manager Bernard Foot expects the hardware, software and services divisions within the company to be more evenly split, which would seem to entail winding down hardware manufacture and vamping up consultancy and engineering services. Software is another area where the implementation of a Unix system could be of benefit, since it would enable SyFA to cut back on the expensive business of developing turnkey software based on its SyCLOPS operating system, and open up its marketing capability for off the shelf software from companies like Uniplex Ltd. PDP-11, Pick users It will still, however, offer customised software mainly developed with the Progress applications generator since this is where SyFA’s in-house expertise lies, as it offers the fastest applications for transaction processing. To ease the transition from a hardware-based company to a business solutions company SyFA has recently organised itself around vertical market sectors rather than around geographical areas. Consequently new business units are being established to specialise in transport, food wholesaling cash and carry, and manufacturing. Within these sectors the company claims to be finding a tremendous amount of interest in moving to Unix, particularly among both DEC PDP-11 users and customers using Pick. SyFA can help such companies by moving applications across to Unix via the C language, or it can also work with applications that remain in Basic Plus. SyFA is also offering an exchange rental plan through its new company SyFA Exchange Rentals Ltd to offer standard rental and exchange schemes. At the moment SyFA is sticking its neck out by providing one of the first GOSIP compliant Open System environments for the private sector. SyFA itself cannot afford to sell into the government marketplace but figures that it can only be a matter of time before the private sector apes the government sector’s GOSIP environment, particularly as companies will soon be forced to use electronic data interchange which communicates with the GOSIP system in order to sell to the government. Its side of the gamble is that it, with the support of the Common Unix Environment Group, has such a commercial system up and running – it now requires commercial interest to make the company – a buyout from Computer Automation Inc – a technologically and financially viable concern.
