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AT&T announced the creation of the '''UNIX Software Operation''' (USO) – a separate and distinct AT&T business unit responsible for the development, marketing, and licensing of UNIX System V software – in January 1989.<ref name="signals-91">{{cite news | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UY0-AQAAIAAJ | magazine=Signals | date=1991 | pages=61–66| title=Signals }}</ref> This was done, as a subsequent press release stated, "in order to separate AT&T's UNIX System source code business from its computer systems business,"<ref name="pr-rosetta"/> the latter a reference to [[AT&T Computer Systems]]. USO included the AT&T Data Systems Group organizations responsible for UNIX product planning and management, licensing, and marketing.<ref name="pr-uso"/> [[Peter J. Weinberger]] was named chief scientist of USO while also retaining his job in the computing science research center at [[Bell Labs]]; no other Bell Labs assets were transferred to USO.<ref name="pr-uso">{{cite press release | url=http://tech-insider.org/unix/research/1989/0104.html | title=AT&T Names President Of Unix Software Operation | publisher=PR Newswire | date=January 4, 1989 | access-date=March 28, 2021 | archive-date=January 19, 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170119060705/http://tech-insider.org/unix/research/1989/0104.html | url-status=live }}</ref> The head of USO was Larry Dooling, who had been a vice-president in sales and marketing in the AT&T Data Systems Group.<ref name="pr-uso"/>
Unlike the original Unix work, which had been done in the Bell Labs facility in [[Murray Hill, New Jersey|Murray Hill]], USO and the commercialization work was done a few miles away in [[Summit, New Jersey]]
UNIX System Laboratories, Inc., came into being as a separate subsidiary of AT&T in November 1989 and was assigned all U.S.-based AT&T Unix and USO assets.<ref name="pr-rosetta"/>
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The USO/USL staff was heavily involved in the creation of [[SVR4|UNIX System V Release 4]], which shipped in 1989 and was a joint project with [[Sun Microsystems]].<ref name="timeline"/> This work incorporated technology from a variety of Unix-based efforts, including [[UNIX System V]], [[Berkeley Software Distribution|BSD]], and [[Xenix]].<ref name="timeline">{{cite web | url=http://www.unix.org/what_is_unix/history_timeline.html | title=History and Timeline | publisher=The Open Group | access-date=December 1, 2017 | archive-date=April 8, 2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110408171534/http://www.unix.org/what_is_unix/history_timeline.html | url-status=live }}</ref> There were additions and new innovations as well from both the AT&T and Sun sides. System V Release 4 debuted at the [[Unix Expo]] trade show in New York in November 1989, in the form of source code availability for it as well as demonstrations from Unix International of SVR4-based applications running on seventeen different vendor platforms.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dTAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA41 | title=Hopes of Reunification Highlight Eventful Year for Unix Community | first=Martin | last=Marshall | newspaper=InfoWorld | date=December 18, 1989 | page=41 | access-date=March 28, 2021 | archive-date=March 28, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210328062559/https://books.google.com/books?id=dTAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA41 | url-status=live }}</ref> End-user versions of Release 4 became available during 1990.<ref name="advanced"/>
Next USL engaged in an especially arduous effort into trying to satisfy the requirements of the [[National Computer Security Center]]'s [[Trusted Computer System Evaluation Criteria]] ("Orange Book") to the B2 level.<ref name="cw-sec">{{cite news | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=a6P8XXI-B8cC&pg=PA32 | title=AT&T Unix to gain enhanced security | first=Johanna | last=Ambrosio | newspaper=Computerworld | date=October 1, 1990 | page=32 | access-date=March 28, 2021 | archive-date=March 28, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210328062612/https://books.google.com/books?id=a6P8XXI-B8cC&pg=PA32 | url-status=live }}</ref> This manifested itself in System V Release 4.1 ES (Enhanced Security), which also included generally useful features such as support for dynamic loading of kernel modules.<ref>{{cite news |title=Unix International reviews the Unix System V.4 story so far |first=William |last=Fellows |date= August 13, 1992 |work=[[Computergram International]] | publisher=Computer Business Review |url=https://techmonitor.ai/technology/unix_international_reviews_the_unix_system_v4_story_so_far <!--blacklisted http://www.cbronline.com/news/unix_international_reviews_the_unix_system_v4_story_so_far --> }}</ref>
Following that, USL worked on [[UNIX System V#SVR4.2 / UnixWare|System V Release 4.2]], which was released in June 1992.<ref name="iw-42">{{cite news | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7D0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA1 | title=Univel targets UnixWare release for early fall | first1=Vance | last1=McCarthy | first2=Cate | last2=Corcoran | newspaper=InfoWorld | date=May 11, 1992 | pages=1, 103 | access-date=March 28, 2021 | archive-date=March 28, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210328062558/https://books.google.com/books?id=7D0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA1 | url-status=live }}</ref> ''[[InfoWorld]]'' characterized this effort as "at the core of an assault on the enterprise networking market," with a modular architecture that stressed improved support for enterprise- and network-level administration, drivers for both [[Token Ring]] and [[Ethernet]], and a greater ability to run on low-end machine configurations.<ref name="iw-42"/>
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==Chorus and Ouverture==
[[Image:High Street in Ealing.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.9|USL Europe's offices were in Ealing, London (in the building on the right side after the road bends, as seen here in 2009)]]
In 1991, USL forged an arrangement with the French company [[Chorus Systèmes SA]] to engage in cooperative work on the [[ChorusOS|Chorus]] [[microkernel]] technology, with the idea of supporting SVR4 on a microkernel and thereby making it more scalable and better suited for parallel and distributed applications.<ref name="en-1991"/><ref name="pcw-1993"/> As part of this, USL took a $1 million stake in Chorus Systèmes.<ref name="en-1991">{{cite news | author-last=Khermouch | author-first=Gerry | title=USL backs French firm's Microkernel | magazine=Electronic News | date=November 25, 1991 | page=13 | via=Gale General OneFile | url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A11521898/ITOF?u=wikipedia&sid=ITOF&xid=50f6313d | access-date=March 28, 2021 | archive-date=March 28, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210328062613/https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&u=wikipedia&id=GALE
This was part of the larger [[Ouverture project]], a $14 million effort that was itself part of the [[European Strategic Program on Research in Information Technology]] (ESPRIT), overseen by the [[European Commission]].<ref>{{cite news | author-last=Van Tyle | author-first=Sherry | title=PC fault-tolerant Unix-based system runs on a modular microkernel architecture | magazine=Electronic Design | date=October 15, 1992 | page=34 | via=Gale General OneFile | url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A14402019/ITOF?u=wikipedia&sid=ITOF&xid=ede270b7 | access-date=March 28, 2021 | archive-date=March 28, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210328062611/https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&u=wikipedia&id=GALE
{{clear}}
==Other software work==
{{main|Tuxedo (software)}}
Another unit within USL, called the Open Solutions Software business unit and headed by Joel A. Appelbaum, was responsible for other system software that in some way worked in conjunction with Unix.<ref name="pr-rosetta"/>
The [[Tuxedo (software)|Tuxedo transaction processing middleware]] had also been transferred from elsewhere in AT&T to USL. It had originated as the [[Loop maintenance operations system|Loop Maintenance Operations System]] (LMOS) followed by the Unix Transaction System (UNITS) and was used for projects internally within AT&T. It was then renamed by USL and, as Release 4.0 of what was now called Tuxedo, in 1989 was offered for the first time as a commercial product.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/zdanh_test_031_tuxedosystemsoft00juan| url-access=registration<!-- https://books.google.com/books?id=Of6BdiZu9lUC&pg=PT27--> | first1=Juan M. | last1=Andrade | first2=Mark T. | last2=Carges | first3=Terence J. | last3=Dwyer | first4= Stephen D. | last4=Felts | title=The TUXEDO System: Software for Constructing and Managing Distributed Business Applications | publisher=Addison-Wesley | ___location=Reading, Massachusetts | year=1996 | pages=xxxiii–xxxvi| isbn=9780201634938 }}</ref>
USL also developed and marketed the OSI Communications Platform, which was an implementation of the [[OSI model|OSI protocols]] for Unix-based networking.<ref name="nw-knowhow">{{cite news | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cBAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA9 | title=Novell buys into AT&T unit to gain Unix net know-how | first=Ellen | last=Messmer | newspaper=Network World | date=April 15, 1991 | page=9 | access-date=March 28, 2021 | archive-date=March 28, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210328062602/https://books.google.com/books?id=cBAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA9 | url-status=live }}</ref>
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{{see also|C++#History}}
There was also a languages department at Unix System Laboratories,<!-- https://books.google.com/books?id=9yMQAQAAMAAJ Dr. Dobb's Journal of Software Tools ... is member of the languages department at Unix System Laboratories and is the editor of the Standard for the C++ Standardization committee. --> which was responsible for the [[C language]] compiler and development tools used to build Unix.<ref name="pr-uso"/> Moreover, it was responsible for commercial sales related to the C++ language, including development tools such as the [[Cfront]] compiler that had come from AT&T.<ref name="d-and-e"/>
Indeed, the paper describing one of the first implementations of automatic instantiation of [[Template (C++)|C++ templates]] in a C++ compiler had as lead author an engineer associated with Unix System Laboratories.<ref>{{cite journal | first1=Glen | last1=McCluskey | first2=Robert B. | last2=Murray | title=Template Instantiation For C++ | journal=SIGPLAN Notices | volume=27 | issue=12 | date=December 1992 | pages=47–56| doi=10.1145/142181.142195 | s2cid=27330199 | doi-access=free }}</ref><ref name="m-and-c"/> And [[Margaret A. Ellis]], co-author with C++ creator [[Bjarne Stroustrup]] of ''The Annotated C++ Reference Manual'', an important publication in the history of the language, was a USL software engineer.<ref name="d-and-e"/>
[[Image:Office within the Unix System Laboratories building in Summit, New Jersey--March 1994.jpg|thumb|left|A software developer working in the Summit building]]
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USL got a new president and CEO in November 1991 when Dooling was replaced by the Dutchman [[Roel Pieper]], formerly chief technical officer of [[Software AG]].<ref name="cwde-roel">{{cite news | url=https://www.computerwoche.de/a/roel-pieper-ist-neuer-chef-der-usl,1143313 | title=Roel Pieper ist neuer Chef der USL | newspaper=Computerwoche von IDG | date=December 6, 1991 | language=de | access-date=March 28, 2021 | archive-date=March 28, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210328062608/https://www.computerwoche.de/a/roel-pieper-ist-neuer-chef-der-usl,1143313 | url-status=live }}</ref>
USL was aggressive in defending its perceived intellectual property rights, initiating as the plaintiff a lawsuit in 1992 against [[Berkeley Software Design]] makers of and the [[Regents of the University of California]] over copyrights and trademarks related to Unix.<ref name="ieee-unix">{{cite news | url=https://spectrum.ieee.org
== Univel and UnixWare ==
{{see also|Univel|UnixWare}}
In December 1991, USL combined with Novell to form the [[Univel]] joint venture.<ref name="cw-univel">{{cite news | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FzdIrgXpYXAC&pg=PA115 | title=Unix Labs, Novell tighten ties | first=Jim | last=Nash | newspaper=Computerworld | date=December 16, 1991 | page=115 | access-date=March 28, 2021 | archive-date=March 28, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210328062612/https://books.google.com/books?id=FzdIrgXpYXAC&pg=PA115 | url-status=live }}</ref> The goal was to make the "[[Univel Destiny|Destiny]]" desktop for Intel commodity hardware, which would be USL's first shrink-wrapped binary product, with the necessary resources for sales, marketing, and distribution being moved into the new entity.<ref>{{cite news |work=Computergram International | publisher=Computer Business Review |url=https://techmonitor.ai/technology/unix_labs_and_novell_plan_joint_venture_reveal_bones_of_mass_distribution_alliance <!-- blacklisted http://w w w . c b r o n l i n e . c o m/news/unix_labs_and_novell_plan_joint_venture_reveal_bones_of_mass_distribution_alliance --> |title=Unix Labs and Novell plan join venture, reveal bones of mass distribution alliance |date=October 24, 1991 }}</ref>
[[Kanwal Rekhi]], a Novell vice president who helped launch Univel, said the
goal was to create a "Unix for the masses".<ref>{{cite news | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aw8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA13 | title=Univel developing user-friendly Unix | first=Margie | last=Wylie | magazine=Network World | date=April 13, 1992 | page=13 | access-date=March 28, 2021 | archive-date=July 26, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726130425/https://books.google.com/books?id=aw8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA13 | url-status=live }}</ref>
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[[Image:Novell building in Summit, New Jersey that housed Unix Systems Group, which had been Unix System Laboratories-March 1994.jpg|thumb|left|The Summit building in the Novell Unix Systems Group era]]
On December 21, 1992, it was announced that Novell would acquire Unix System Laboratories, and all of its Unix assets, including all copyrights, trademarks, and licensing contracts, for some $335 million in stock.<ref name="lat-novell">{{cite news | url=
The measure was intended to help Novell compete against [[Microsoft]], which was on the verge of including networking as a built-in feature of [[Windows]] in conjunction with the [[Windows NT]] server.<ref name="lat-novell"/><ref name="cw-longshot"/> It was also an outgrowth of Novell chief [[Ray Noorda]]'s theories about [[coopetition]] in a technology industry.<ref name="cbr-japan"/><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/03/29/business/preaching-love-thy-competitor.html | title=Preaching Love Thy Competitor | first=Lawrence M. | last=Fisher | newspaper=The New York Times | date=March 29, 1992 | access-date=March 28, 2021 | archive-date=December 23, 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191223051337/https://www.nytimes.com/1992/03/29/business/preaching-love-thy-competitor.html | url-status=live }}</ref>
The move seemed like a long shot to analysts, with a commentary piece in ''[[Computerworld]]'' outlining the obstacles to success and stating, "Saying this deal has the technical potential to counter Windows NT is very different from predicting that it will do so."<ref name="cw-longshot">{{cite news | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=heyWMcI8pQUC&pg=PA34 | first=Charles | last=Babcock | title=Novell's long shot | newspaper=Computerworld | date=January 11, 1993 | page=34 | access-date=March 28, 2021 | archive-date=March 28, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210328062602/https://books.google.com/books?id=heyWMcI8pQUC&pg=PA34 | url-status=live }}</ref>
There was negative reaction to the acquisition from USL shareholders, USL employees, and members of Unix International.<ref name="cbr-japan"/> Noorda had to emphasize that Novell had no plans to move USL operations from New Jersey to Utah, where Novell was based.<ref name="cbr-japan"/> And Noorda and Pieper had to travel to Japan to reassure USL shareholders and investors there.<ref name="cbr-japan">{{cite news | url=https://techmonitor.ai/technology/novell_unix_labs_try_to_reassure_japanese_on_the_merger <!-- blacklisted https://www. c b r o n l i n e.com/news/novell_unix_labs_try_to_reassure_japanese_on_the_merger/ --> | title=Novell, Unix Labs Try to Reassure Japanese on the Merger |work=Computergram International | publisher=Computer Business Review | date=March 4, 1993}}</ref>
Nonetheless, the deal was finalized in June 1993.<ref name="pr-finalized">{{cite press release |url = http://tech-insider.org/unix/research/1993/0614.html |title = Novell completes acquisition of UNIX System Laboratories from AT&T |publisher = Business Wire |date = June 14, 1993 |access-date = March 28, 2021 |archive-date = July 7, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170707211219/http://tech-insider.org/unix/research/1993/0614.html |url-status = live }}</ref>
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Rekhi was named as the head of the Unix Systems Group.<ref name="nyt-roel-out"/> Pieper, who had been assigned under Rekhi with little role to play, soon departed, leaving Novell in August 1993.<ref name="cw-roel-out">{{cite news | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PgsZJgu-zDkC&pg=PA16 | title=News Shorts: Pieper bids adieu | newspaper=Computerworld | date=September 6, 1993 | page=16 | access-date=March 28, 2021 | archive-date=March 28, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210328062610/https://books.google.com/books?id=PgsZJgu-zDkC&pg=PA16 | url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="nyt-roel-out">{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/08/31/business/company-news-standard-set-for-unix-interface.html | title=Novell Unix Official Out | newspaper=The New York Times | date=August 31, 1993 | page=57 | access-date=March 28, 2021 | archive-date=June 24, 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180624150550/https://www.nytimes.com/1993/08/31/business/company-news-standard-set-for-unix-interface.html | url-status=live }}</ref>
The USL Europe office in London was moved into Novell's facility in [[Bracknell, Berkshire]].<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.telecompaper.com/news/novell-continues-restructuring--5894 | title=Novell Continues Restructuring | publisher=Telecompaper | date=September 10, 1993 | access-date=March 28, 2021 | archive-date=December 3, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201203082350/https://www.telecompaper.com/news/novell-continues-restructuring--5894 | url-status=live }}</ref> The Chorus work it was doing became the basis for the Novell "[[SuperNOS]]", a project to create a microkernel-based, UnixWare–NetWare hybrid, network operating system.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://techmonitor.ai/technology/novell_ready_to_embark_on_the_road_to_object_orientation <!--BD https://www.cbronline.com/news/novell_ready_to_embark_on_the_road_to_object_orientation/ --> | title=Novell ready to embark on the road to object orientation | work=Computergram International | publisher=Computer Business Review | date=April 11, 1995}}</ref>
== Legacy ==
The acquisition of USL never really worked out for Novell,<ref name="crn-news"/> and was followed by Novell's misguided acquisitions of [[WordPerfect]] and [[Quattro Pro]] in another attempt to compete head-to-head with Microsoft.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/02/01/business/novell-to-sell-wordperfect-for-115-million.html | title=Novell to Sell Wordperfect for $115 Million | first=Lawrence M. | last=Fisher | newspaper=The New York Times | date=February 1, 1996 | access-date=March 28, 2021 | archive-date=June 22, 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190622100621/https://www.nytimes.com/1996/02/01/business/novell-to-sell-wordperfect-for-115-million.html | url-status=live }}</ref> In particular, the "SuperNOS" project never achieved fruition.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.deseret.com/2004/3/29/19819824/novell-regaining-prior-glory | title=Novell regaining prior glory | author-first=David L. | author-last=Politis | newspaper=Deseret News | date=March 29, 2004 | access-date=March 28, 2021 | archive-date=March 28, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210328062616/https://www.deseret.com/2004/3/29/19819824/novell-regaining-prior-glory | url-status=live }}</ref>
Novell announced the sale of Unix to the [[Santa Cruz Operation]], coincident with a licensing arrangement with [[Hewlett
Although it never took off within the industry, C++ Standard Components remained in the development kits for Novell UnixWare, later SCO UnixWare, into the 2000s.<ref name="udk-sc">{{cite web | url=http://osr600doc.sco.com/en/SDK_c++/_C_Standard_Components.html | title=C++ Standard Components | publisher=The SCO Group | date=June 2, 2005 | access-date=December 1, 2017 | archive-date=September 10, 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180910205617/http://osr600doc.sco.com/en/SDK_c++/_C_Standard_Components.html | url-status=live }} See also [http://osr600doc.sco.com/en/SDK_c++/_Relationship_to_the_C_Standard_.html "Relationship to the C++ Standard Library"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201125141411/http://osr600doc.sco.com/en/SDK_c++/_Relationship_to_the_C_Standard_.html |date=November 25, 2020 }} at the same site.</ref> Tuxedo was acquired by [[BEA Systems]] in the 1990s, and then upon that firm being acquired became part of [[Oracle Fusion Middleware]].<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/middleware/tuxedo/overview/index.html | title=Oracle Tuxedo | publisher=Oracle | access-date=May 5, 2018 | archive-date=May 5, 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180505210553/http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/middleware/tuxedo/overview/index.html | url-status=live }}</ref>
Novell was acquired by [[The Attachmate Group]] in 2011. The Attachmate Group was acquired by [[Micro Focus]] in 2014. Micro Focus was later acquired by [[OpenText]] in 2023.
In the view of writer Christopher Negus,
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{{AT&T Spinoffs}}
{{Novell}}
{{OpenText}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:OpenText]]
[[Category:1989 establishments in New Jersey]]
[[Category:1993 disestablishments in New Jersey]]
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