Having gobbled up Peter Norton Computing Inc, Cupertino, California-based Symantec Corp is hungry again, and for its next meal, it has acquired Zortech Inc, Woburn, Massachusetts-based developer of cross-system C++ compilers. Symantec claims to be the leading independent developer of Macintosh languages, with products including Think C and Think Pascal. Zortech released the first native code C++ compiler for MS-DOS and now has C++ compilers for MS-DOS, Windows, OS/2, Unix and the Macintosh. The price to be paid, 238,095 new shares, values Zortech at some $12.1m; Zortech has offices in Woburn and London and its staff will report to Julie Bingham, currently director of Symantec’s language and integrated products group in Bedford, Massachusetts. Symantec immediately announced Zortech C++ Version 3.0 in three configurations: one supporting MS-DOS and Windows programming, the second adding MS-DOS 386 and OS/2 support, the third adding support for scientific and engineering applications. They feature optimised native C and C++ code generation, libraries and full Windows, MS-DOS and OS/2 debugger support, and add optimising compilation, Windows development tools and MS Windows documentation. A new WINC library automatically coverts MS-DOS command line programs to true Windows applications and there is a new WindowsMaker dialogue box editor. A royalty-free 16-bit MS-DOS extender is included. Zortech C++ for Windows and MS-DOS is $400; Zortech C++ Developer’s Edition is $700; and Zortech C++ Science and Engineering Edition costs $1,000.
