Periphere Computer-Systeme
Encyclopedia
Periphere Computer-Systeme, or PCS, in the 1980s and '90s was a manufacturer of UNIX-based computers headquartered in Munich, Germany. Their flavor of System V was called MUNIX; it was the first port of SysV performed in Germany. They also developed a networking protocol that was based on the Newcastle Connection and dubbed MUNIX/net, at the time competing with Sun Microsystems
' NFS.
In addition to UNIX computers, PCS also manufactured industrial terminals.
Eventually, PCS was bought out by Mannesmann-Kienzle, which in turn was bought out by Ken Olsen
to become part of DEC, Digital Equipment Corporation
. The main driver for the buyouts was a client/server ERP
product developed by a dynamic young team at Mannesmann Kienzle Software, competing with SAP
R/3
. Ken Olson had planned to diversify the corporation, but was ousted by shareholders who did not share his vision of no longer relying on the more and more commoditized computer systems sale and rather jump on the ERP bandwagon early on. One of the reasons for naming DECs last line of CPUs (AlphaAXP) was that they were intended to be sold as the Alpha and the Omega (codename for the ERP system).
As a result, Digital-Kienzle, including its PCS subsidiary, entered into a staff buy-out of the company, in part sponsored by some of the German states. Unfortunately the timing of this decision pulled the financial bottom out of the whole setup in terms of the ERP system that was just getting a decent foothold in the market. As a result, there is not much left to be said or heard about said ERP system. In the late 80s, whenever Mannesmann-Kienzle's representatives were speaking at conferences prior to SAP's presenters, SAP during Q&A usually had to state that they were planning to be in their development of R/3 where the "Omega"-team already had arrived at.
One of the more prominent figures of the former PCS might be Jürgen Gulbins, who authored several books on Unix and related tools, as well as Jordan Hubbard
, who spent several years at PCS (in the X11 group) before departing for Ireland, where he co-founded the FreeBSD
project.
Sun Microsystems
Sun Microsystems, Inc. was a company that sold :computers, computer components, :computer software, and :information technology services. Sun was founded on February 24, 1982...
' NFS.
In addition to UNIX computers, PCS also manufactured industrial terminals.
Eventually, PCS was bought out by Mannesmann-Kienzle, which in turn was bought out by Ken Olsen
Ken Olsen
Kenneth Harry Olsen was an American engineer who co-founded Digital Equipment Corporation in 1957 with colleague Harlan Anderson.-Background:...
to become part of DEC, Digital Equipment Corporation
Digital Equipment Corporation
Digital Equipment Corporation was a major American company in the computer industry and a leading vendor of computer systems, software and peripherals from the 1960s to the 1990s...
. The main driver for the buyouts was a client/server ERP
Enterprise resource planning
Enterprise resource planning systems integrate internal and external management information across an entire organization, embracing finance/accounting, manufacturing, sales and service, customer relationship management, etc. ERP systems automate this activity with an integrated software application...
product developed by a dynamic young team at Mannesmann Kienzle Software, competing with SAP
SAP AG
SAP AG is a German software corporation that makes enterprise software to manage business operations and customer relations. Headquartered in Walldorf, Baden-Württemberg, with regional offices around the world, SAP is the market leader in enterprise application software...
R/3
SAP R/3
SAP R/3 is the former name of the main enterprise resource planning software produced by SAP AG. It is an enterprise-wide information system designed to coordinate all the resources, information, and activities needed to complete business processes such as order fulfillment or billing.- History of...
. Ken Olson had planned to diversify the corporation, but was ousted by shareholders who did not share his vision of no longer relying on the more and more commoditized computer systems sale and rather jump on the ERP bandwagon early on. One of the reasons for naming DECs last line of CPUs (AlphaAXP) was that they were intended to be sold as the Alpha and the Omega (codename for the ERP system).
As a result, Digital-Kienzle, including its PCS subsidiary, entered into a staff buy-out of the company, in part sponsored by some of the German states. Unfortunately the timing of this decision pulled the financial bottom out of the whole setup in terms of the ERP system that was just getting a decent foothold in the market. As a result, there is not much left to be said or heard about said ERP system. In the late 80s, whenever Mannesmann-Kienzle's representatives were speaking at conferences prior to SAP's presenters, SAP during Q&A usually had to state that they were planning to be in their development of R/3 where the "Omega"-team already had arrived at.
One of the more prominent figures of the former PCS might be Jürgen Gulbins, who authored several books on Unix and related tools, as well as Jordan Hubbard
Jordan Hubbard
Jordan K. Hubbard is a long-time open source developer, authoring software like the Ardent Window Manager and various other open source tools and libraries before finally co-founding the FreeBSD project. He started the FreeBSD project in 1993 with Nate Williams and Rodney W. Grimes, also creating...
, who spent several years at PCS (in the X11 group) before departing for Ireland, where he co-founded the FreeBSD
FreeBSD
FreeBSD is a free Unix-like operating system descended from AT&T UNIX via BSD UNIX. Although for legal reasons FreeBSD cannot be called “UNIX”, as the direct descendant of BSD UNIX , FreeBSD’s internals and system APIs are UNIX-compliant...
project.