IBM Pushes Hard To Effect Open Systems.

This article focuses on the automation initiative of IBM for its different products related to libraries. The company intends to accomplish its goal of open systems computing by upgrading products that are more compatible for networking, application development, and systems and data management. It also will increase activities in the area of standardization of hardware and software. The company also released over 100 new products, of particular interest are upgrades to its UNIX-based operating systems as well as its disk operating system, both heavily used in libraries. To help its customers initiate open systems, IBM has begun a Multivendor Client Services program, which will provide customized hardware and software for testing. The move toward open systems is part of the company's Information Warehouse framework, which is a combination of new products and support services for accessing and managing data on IBM and non-IBM equipment regardless of format, database, or geographic location. In connection, CLSI Inc. also designed an interface between an online catalog and a robotic retriever for an automated library in Bordeaux, France. The company's LIBS100plus system software is an upgraded circulation control system that works with the existing MARC records and online catalog.