Now he may have a choice of such agents in a pair of applications under development at Millennium Software and IT Solutions. Millennium's intelligent news reader, code-named Hyperion, provides "droids" that scan and clip from data streams according to complex search criteria. Results are posted to e-mail, a live news window, or regular briefing reports. You may recall that Millennium chairman Jayson Adams developed NewsGrazer, which he left behind when he departed NeXT a few years back. Hyperion will also allow users to create their own internal bulletin boards and conferencing groups.
Meanwhile, ITS is making progress on its all-encompassing groupware program, code-named Tempest. Tempest has the tools to replace mail, Digital Librarian, and the File Viewer in one fell swoop. Tempest's focus is on providing an enterprisewide groupware solution, ˆ la Lotus Notes, including more help for Sullivan in the form of news-filtering agents. (In an unrelated move, ITS has agreed to acquire Perennial Software's document-management application, which it is readying for shipment in early 1994.)
One problem: Both apps, along with Pangea Corporation's MindShare, may be treading on territory NeXT wants to reserve for its own future groupware product.
None of these developments come too soon for Sullivan, who's had his case of information overload this month made worse by Fortune magazine's late hit on Steve Jobs's management style and Randall Stross piling on in his NeXT Big Thing book. Fortune dredged up some tired old stories in naming Steve as one of the seven toughest corporate bosses. Stross also neglected to seek insider perspective, including such as could be provided by this columnist. Actually, Cube Confidential is cited on several occasions, but Stross didn't bother to follow up. The truth is he found all the ammunition he needed to prove his thesis from interviews at Sun Microsystems, hardly a bastion of neutrality.
The final item of misinformation appeared in the September 29 issue of USA Today. In an article entitled "Jobs may take NEXTSTEP to IBM," the reporter concluded that NeXT "has been talking with IBM about offering an operating system designed by NeXT to IBM customers." Is it true? Well, yes, if you mean selling NEXTSTEP for IBM-labeled PCs. But that's hardly headline news.
Despite the prospect of big sales to Barclays Bank and Linklaters & Paines, the NEXTSTEP community in the United Kingdom is not a big happy family. One of the VADs there has been bypassing dealers and selling directly, undercutting NeXT's efforts to build a dealer channel in the U.K. The good news in the U.K. is the hush-hush deal to ease migration from Wang systems to NEXTSTEP, which is a critical piece for both customers. More than a simple rip-out-and-replace, the two systems will evidently work together during a transition.
Steve Jobs's rescue mission to Fidelity in Boston failed to convince the company to reverse its decision to deploy its retail brokerage system under Windows NT. But shortly after that, a swing with Warren Weiss to Guadalajara evidently netted a major NEXTSTEP commitment from one of Mexico's leading financial institutions.
More good news is the early indication that Grant Thornton, which is among the top ten computer-consulting firms in the U.S., is set to join NeXT's new Object Channel. Also, keep an eye on NCR, which is getting ready to announce an agreement to support NEXTSTEP on its enterprise systems.
All of the major hardware OEMs are fighting it out for sales to NeXT's major customers. Now you can chalk up a win for ALR, which signed a contract with NationsBanc-CRT to supply the trading firm with NEXTSTEP PC systems.
Finally, this riddle: If you sell several hundred boxes of Mathematica at a public auction on an "as-is" basis as part of a larger lot that sold for $4000, whose fault is it? According to NeXT legal, it seems to be the buyer's fault. Sullivan hears that Dancing Bear is being sued in court to prevent it from giving away the "not-for-resale" copies that NeXT sold.
Disappointed you can't easily upgrade your bargain-basement PIXY NEXTSTEP 3.0J to 3.1J? Let Sully upgrade your glass NeXT mug to a ceramic Lt. Sullivan mug for an insider tip. Leave him voice mail at 415/978-3374 or e-mail sullivan@nextworld.com. RSA public key available upon request.