From: info@sco.COM (SCO Information)
Newsgroups: biz.sco.announce
Subject: New TPC records for SCO, Oracle, and Compaq
Date: 12 Jan 93 20:22:10 GMT
Followup-To: biz.sco.general
Organization: XeniTec Consulting Services, Kitchener, ON, Canada


                  SCO, COMPAQ, AND ORACLE SHATTER BENCHMARK
                            FOR DATABASE SERVERS

                 Intel-based open systems servers again beat
                    RISC systems in cost and performance

SANTA CRUZ, CA (January 12, 1993) -- SCO today announced that an
Intel-based server system running the SCO UNIX System  and SCO MPX 
has topped the leading RISC-based systems in a major industry benchmark test
and demonstrated the best cost-performance available to business for
transaction-intensive database applications.

The SCO UNIX System and SCO MPX running on a multiprocessor COMPAQ
SYSTEMPRO/XL with Oracle7 achieved 171.8 transactions per second (tpsA)
at a cost of $5,515 per transaction, shattering the Transaction Processing
Council's cost-performance record for database servers and achieving a better
cost per transaction than all other systems registering TPC-A results.

The SCO/Compaq/Oracle solution achieved more than twice the performance
per unit of cost than such leading, high-end RISC servers as the Pyramid
MIServer ES, and the HP 9000/890, as well as more than twice the
performance per unit of cost than the Sequent S2000/750. The Intel-based
multiprocessor solution also ranked in the same performance class as leading
mid-range RISC servers costing thousands of dollars more, providing superior
raw performance to the IBM RISC 6000/980 and the Sun 690MP, and raw
performance comparable to the HP 9000/897.

The TPC-A test is an industry-standard benchmark which measures
performance in update-intensive database applications such as the on-line
transaction processing (OLTP) environments common in the finance and
banking industries. The benchmark uses a single update-intensive transaction to
load the system, and measures how many transactions per second a system can
perform when driven from multiple terminals. The number of terminals used is
scaled according to the throughput or tps rating. The record-breaking 171.8
transactions per second represents over 1,700 terminals processing transactions
over a network on a dual 50-MHz 486 COMPAQ SYSTEMPRO/XL.

``Servers running SCO UNIX and SCO MPX on Intel architectures are
delivering the raw performance required for mission-critical applications in
finance and many other industries,'' said Scott McGregor, vice president and
general manager of SCO's Products Business Unit. ``These benchmarks prove
beyond any doubt that the performance many users believe only comes with
RISC-based systems can be achieved with open systems solutions based on
Intel architectures, and, at a fraction of the cost. The TPC-A benchmarks
explode the myth that users must sacrifice performance to reap the many
benefits of using shrink-wrapped software on Intel-based servers.''

The SCO UNIX System and SCO MPX, combined with powerful Intel-based
servers such as the COMPAQ SYSTEMPRO, provide a cost-effective
alternative to proprietary RISC systems. SCO MPX is a performance extension
to the SCO UNIX System that supports linear scalability on over 20 different
Intel-based multiprocessor servers. SCO MPX is compatible with hundreds of
peripherals and thousands of applications, including shrink-wrapped versions of
leading relational database management systems such as Oracle7. SCO MPX
also complies with open systems standards such as POSIX TM  and XPG,
providing businesses with a stable, incremental upgrade path and flexibility for
upgrades and expansions.

Michael Pope, director of Intel's Architecture and Software Marketing Group,
said, ``The performance of the COMPAQ SYSTEMPRO/XL and SCO MPX
server solution is further evidence that Intel-based multiprocessor systems are
surpassing the competition in delivering unrivaled price-performance.''

The new transaction-processing record follows similar, record-breaking TPC-B
benchmarks achieved in October by a COMPAQ SYSTEMPRO/XL,
ORACLE7, SCO UNIX System and SCO MPX, which was the first and, to
date, only database server to achieve $1000 per tpsB. The actual price per
transaction of $799/tpsB was nearly 50 percent lower than the nearest
competitor. The TPC-B benchmark is a database stress test that measures the
transactions per second achieved by a single system.

About Intel

Intel is an international manufacturer of microcomputer components, modules,
and systems.

About The Transaction Processing Council

The Transaction Processing Council is a non-profit corporation set up by
hardware and software vendors to define transaction processing and database
benchmarks. The Council has developed the TPC-A benchmark to provide a
systematic method of measuring performance in database environments typified
by on-line-transaction processing. It is widely accepted as the premier indicator
of overall system performance in a commercial transaction processing
environment.

About Oracle

Oracle Corporation, headquartered in Redwood Shores, California, is the
world's largest supplier of database software. Oracle develops and markets an
integrated family of software products for database management; tools for
CASE, application development, and office automation; and application
packages for accounting and manufacturing. Oracle software runs on PCs,
workstations, minicomputers, mainframes, and massively parallel computers.
The company offers its products, along with related consulting, education and
support services, in 92 countries around the world. Oracle is a publicly-held
corporation whose shares are traded on NASDAQ/NMS with the ticker symbol
ORCL.

For further information about Oracle, call Oracle corporate headquarters at
415/506-7000, or write to Oracle Corporation, 500 Oracle Parkway, Box
659509, Redwood Shores, CA 94065.

About COMPAQ

Compaq Computer Corporation is a world leader in the manufacture of PC
servers, and desktop, portable, laptop, and notebook personal computers.
Founded in 1982, the company reported 1991 worldwide revenues of $3.3
billion. COMPAQ products are sold and/or supported in more than 85
countries through a network of more than 8,300 Compaq Marketing Partners,
including authorized resellers (superstores, chains and franchisers), specialized
resellers, value added resellers (VARs), distributors, network integrators,
systems integrators, and authorized third-party maintainers. Compaq also offers
customers a broad range of service and support programs including free
telephone support through the Customer Support Center (800/345-1518),
worldwide product warranties, and technical product information on CD-ROM.

About SCO

The Santa Cruz Operation, Inc. (SCO) is a privately held company recognized
internationally as the business choice for open systems software. SCO's wide
range of UNIX System software solutions for 386/486 computers includes SCO
Open Desktop, the SCO UNIX Operating System, and the SCO MPX
multiprocessor extension, plus interoperability software, development tools,
and comprehensive consulting, training and support services. To date, SCO has
shipped over 850,000 UNIX Systems -- more than any other vendor and
fields one of the largest UNIX System technical teams in the world. Founded in
1979, SCO maintains corporate business and development headquarters in
Santa Cruz, California, London, and Toronto, and major regional offices in
Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Mexico City, Milan, Paris, Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo,
and throughout the U.S.

                                    # # #

SCO, the SCO logo, Open Desktop, and SCO MPX are trademarks or registered
trademarks of The Santa Cruz Operation, Inc.  in the U.S.A.  and other
countries.  All other brand or product names are or may be trademarks of, and
are used to identify products or services of, their respective owners.
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