Convergent Technologies

Convergent Technologies was an American computer company formed by a small group of people who left Intel Corporation and Xerox PARC in 1979.

Convergent Technologies' first product was the IWS (Integrated Workstation) tower based on the Intel 8086. The next product was a cost-reduced desktop version called the AWS (Advanced Workstation). Both of these workstations ran in an RS-422 clustered environment under a proprietary operating system known as CTOS.

In 1982, Convergent formed a new division to focus on a multi-processor computer known as the MegaFrame. The MegaFrame ran a UNIX System 3-derived operating system called CTIX on multiple Motorola 68010 processors. Three other I/O processor boards could also be place in the system, the File Processor, the Cluster Processor, and the Terminal Processor. All I/O processor boards were based on the Intel 80186 and ran a scaled down version of CTOS.

Convergent later used the Motorola 68010 in their MiniFrame, and later Motorola 68020 and 68040 processors in their VME-based MightyFrame systems, all also running CTIX.

Supplanting the IWS was the AWS (Advanced Workstation) which itself was replaced by the NGEN (New or Next Generation) workstation and used by Prime Computer as a word processing workstation; The "Prime Producer 100". The NGEN was known to Burroughs users as the B25, to Prime as the "Prime Producer 200", and was included the Intel 80186 CPU chip.

Later models kept pace with Intel CPU development through at least the Intel 80386 era. A successor to the NGEN called the SuperGen and based on the Intel 80486 was finally introduced in 1993 after the Unisys acquisition. [1] Convergent also developed the first Motorola 68010 OEM UNIX product for AT&T, and integrated a number features (Stream-based I/O, Multinational Language Support) to the Intel AT&T UNIX base (SVR3.2).

Convergent Technologies systems were also resold by Motorola under the Motorola/4-Phase brand. Motorola/4-Phase pioneered development of international character support for Unix platforms for their EMEA business using the CTOS/CTIX equipment.

The Workslate, a very early portable computer which used a spreadsheet as the primary interface and included a mini-cassette for both voice and data recording, was also marketed by Convergent Technologies.

Convergent reached an agreement to acquire 3Com in March 1986, but the merger was called off at the last moment. Unisys bought Convergent Technologies in 1988, after which Convergent Technologies became Unisys' Network Systems Division.

External links

• Convergent archive at bitsavers.org

This article was originally based on material from the Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, which is licensed under the GFDL.