Control Data Corp finally got shot of its troublesome UK Systime Ltd business on Friday, and the solution for the once-substantial Leeds systems integrator is dismemberment by management buy-out. Four separate companies are being created, the biggest being Service Technology Ltd with 65 people, which will take over the distribution and support of the Altos Computer and Computer Consoles machines, and financial services and technical software – the converter from DEC Basic to Unix Basic. Visionware Ltd will take over the PC Connect Microsoft Windows-based communications product for enabling MS-DOS micros to be used as terminals to Unix systems; PC Xvision; SQL Connect; and an unannounced set of Unix utilities. Manufacturing Solutions Group Ltd takes the Sysimp Unix manufacturing control package – and will be a customer of Service Technology. And the fourth is Streetwise Ltd, which takes the back-office Unix software for point-of-sale applications at multiple retailers. The Utopia financial ledger system is being sold to Ki Computers Ltd of Leeds, and the Leisure Centre Management package to Rutherford Computers Ltd, also of Leeds. Terms of the acquisitions have not been disclosed; some venture capital was raised; it appears CDC is retaining the Systime name; completion is set for mid-June.
