Point 4 Data Corp, the privately-held Irvine, California company that builds Data General Novalikes on which it runs the respected but not widely-known Iris operating system, has been desperate for an acquisition that would take it closer to the mainstream for some time now. It was an unsuccessful bidder for Pertec Computer Corp, and reached the point of calling the banns with Alpha Microsystems before the talks broke down. Now it is the subject of what is in effect a reverse take-over bid from a non-operating shell company, EnMasse Computer Corp, a move first mooted here in May (CI No 688). EnMasse, Acton, Massachusetts, ceased operations in January when its venture capital backers ref-used to put good money after the $18m already spent (CI No 607). They sold a licence to the fault-tolerant transaction-intensive Unix implementation developed by EnMasse to the Toltec-Edge Computers combine, but retained ultimate rights to the development. Now they are proposing to acquire Point 4 Data with a view to Point 4 applying the EnMasse software technology in a new line of Unix machines to sit alongside its Iris machines. The Point 4 managers, who would take control of what is left of EnMasse, including the technology and name, are recommending the $18.7m bid, but the final say is with the venture capitalists who own Point 4. They are J H Whitney, Oak Partners, Hambrecht & Quist and Morganthaler ventures. Oak Partners is also an investor in EnMasse Computer, along with Hambro International, Olivetti International Technology, GE Venture Capital and Oxford Partners.
