SCO shows it's an operator
SCO is showing off its NC/OS operating system for Network Computers to 50 device manufacturers in negotiations for using NC/OS in low-cost computers.
SCO last week announced NC/OS, an operating system designed with minimum memory requirements to run on the expected swarm of Network Computers. The company said today that it has shown the software to 50 device manufacturers, several of which are evaluating NC/OS for use in low-cost computers.
Unisys is showing a prototype machine running NC/OS at SCO's annual conference this week. A variety of other NC makers, all of which had previously announced NCs, also demonstrated devices targeted at both corporate and consumer markets.
Jeff Ait, SCO vice president of Internet products, said the NC/OS is intended primarily at the enterprise market. He believes that companies can revive their outdated PCs, running on 486 and even older microprocessors, by installing NC/OS instead of upgrading to the more powerful machines required to run newer versions of Windows. Such old but still functional PCs can act as Web clients, accessing Windows 95 applications from a server on their network if necessary.
SCO also announced new Internet elements for its software lineup, principally co-marketing agreements with other companies to port software to SCO's OpenServer Release 5 operating system:
--Netscape Communications' FastTrack server will soon be available at SCO's Web site, allowing SCO customers to upgrade from Netscape Server. FastTrack offers high-end browser Navigator Gold, support for Java, JavaScript, simplified server management, and enhanced security.
--Likewise, SCO will resell Oracle's WebServer and PowerBrowser.
--IBM also announced that its DB2 database software will be ready by the end of the month for SCO's OpenServer.
--Lastly, Philippe Courtot, chairman and CEO of Verity, said his company is working with SCO to build Verity search capabilities directly into the SCO operating system.