Hudson, Massachusetts-based Gradient Technologies Inc, one of the Open Software Foundation’s handy little helpers and source of some of its Distributed Computing Environment technology, has up and put the Computing Environment on Unix System V.4-based Intel Corp boxes. The surprise move steals thunder from the Foundation rival Unix System Laboratories Inc, which had hoped to be out first with a System V.4 version of the Environment, but is still hung up in licensing discussions with the Foundation. The Gradient product, SysV-DCE, is initially targeted at other independent software developers interested in creating or converting distributed applications and is described as an application developer’s kit based on DCE version 1.0, including all the secure core technologies found in the DCE Executive including the remote procedure call, threads, Call Directory Service, Security Service and Distributed Time Service. Gradient president Len Halio said the code, due to ship the end of the month, will operate with the System V.4 software from UHC Inc, Microport Inc and the old Interactive Systems Corp Unix and provide full compatibility with other Distributed Computing Environment-compliant implementations. He anticipates versions for Sun’s Solaris 2.0, Unix Labs’ Destiny and Santa Cruz Unix, the last based on System V 3.2, further down the line. Halio said the software is fully interoperable with Gradient’s implementation of Distributed Computing Environment for personal computers running Microsoft Windows 3.X, called PC-DCE, now in early beta testing. Gradient is expecting to sell hundreds of copies the first year. Pricing is $13,500 which provides for one Name Server, one Security Server and up to 10 DCE clients, plus a year’s free support, documentation and upgrade to DCE release 1.0.1. Additional servers start at $2,000 each and additional clients are $575 each; volume discounts are offered.
