Britton-Lee Inc is attempting to attract new customers for its dedicated relational database machine with the launch of an interface package for most Unix-based machines. The Los Gatos, California-based company is pushing the package predominantly for workstations from Sun Microsystems to interface with its IDM 500 Intelligent Database Machines. One Sun workstation is attached to the IDM via a GPIB channel and will have a process called the server on it. All other machines – Sun workstations and others including offerings from AT&T, Pyramid, Prime, DEC, Norsk Data and IBM will be attached to the server machine by Ethernet. Each attached machine will have a copy of the software that is based on Britton Lee’s host software. It enables the workstation users to create application programs; run interactive query languages such as SQL and IDL; and run IDM utilities. Jan Nordhagen, European marketing director, says that the key benefit of the interface package will be the availablity of shared data between heterogenious computers. The package is immediately available from Britton Lee in the US and from its European headquarters in Windsor, Berkshire. The cost is $24,000 for a package per Sun worksation and slightly more or less for the others depending on the size of the target system.
