From: gabetzos@rodan.acs.syr.edu (Betzos)
Subject: Info needed : expert system shells, companies (summary - long)
Summary: expert system shells, companies
Keywords: expert system shells, companies, industrial applications
Organization: Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 92 15:57:14 EST




Dear netnews readers,

In response to my plea on behalf of a friend of mine, posted in both
newsgroups on Nov. 18, I received quite a few replies. Both of us would
like to thank all of you for your help.

I was asked to provide a summary, so with minimal editing I am sending you
the answers I received. Please note that I am not familiar with this subject
and I don't read these groups.

Again, thank you very much.

George Betzos

gabetzos@mailbox.syr.edu

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

> From: bpundars@wasa.shh.fi

> I suggest that You buy PC AI magazine July/August 1992. There You will find
> there annual product guide for expert systems (and tools) among others.


> From: Hans.Voss@gmd.de

> Here is the address of VW-GEDAS who made and distribute babylon:
> 
> VW-GEDAS GmbH
> Pascalstrasse 11
> W-1000 Berlin 10
> Phone: +49 30 39 970  - 0
> Fax:   +49 30 39 970  - 999


> From: Stephan Weber <weber@iam.unibe.ch>

> SMECI is an Expert System Shell based on Lisp. It's from ILOG
> a French company.
> 
> We are very pleased with it.
> 
> The contact address is:
> 
> ILOG
> 2, av. Gallieni
> BP 85
> 94253 Gentilly Cedex
> France
> 
> Tel. +33 (1) 46.63.66.66
> Fax. +33 (1) 46.63.15.82
> 
> The eMail-address of a technical engineer is:
> 
> Daniel Goddard
> 
> Internet	godard@ilog.fr
> uucp		..!mcvax!inria!ilog!godard


> From: talarian!tom@uunet.UU.NET (Tom Laffey)

> 				RTworks
>    A family of products for large scale, distributed real-time systems
> 
> 
> RTworks a family of independent software modules developed for intelligent 
> real-time data acquisition, data analysis, message/data distribution, and 
> message/data display. RTworks offers a number of sophisticated problem-
> solving strategies including knowledge-based systems, a point-and-click 
> graphical user interface, temporal and statistical reasoning, and the ability
> to distribute and application over a network.
> 
> RTworks is a true next generation product built specifically to take advantage 
> of multiple workstations distributed across a heterogeneous network.  
> Included with RTworks is a high-speed inference engine (RTie) which is used to 
> analyze the data using objects, classes, procedures, and rules. The IE can 
> perform trending, prediction and temporal reasoning of the rapidly changing 
> data. RTworks's Human-ComputerInterface (HCI) provides a powerful graphical 
> user interface for an operator. The interface makes full use of current high-
> resolution color displays to provide a point-and-click mode for operator 
> interaction. Displays can be built by non-programmers using a user-friendly 
> DRAW program. More than 60 different formats are provided for displaying 
> input data including strip charts, bar charts, control charts, dials, pie 
> charts, high-low graphs, and many more. Graphical objects can be tied to 
> variables which dynamically control the attributes including color, scale,
> rotation, motion, animation, and more. 
> 
> RTworks runs in a client-server architecture in which the RTserver process 
> intelligently distributes the application's messages and data to only the 
> client prcoesses which need them. User-defined client processes can connect to
> RTserver and easily send and receive messages with other processes in
> the application.
> 
> RTworks is targeted at applications in which many variables must be 
> monitored and displayed in real-time such as process control, network 
> monitoring, financial trading, and command and control. It modular design, 
> with separate processes for data acquisition, inferencing, data display, and 
> inter-process communication make it an ideal environment for building real-
> time applications. 
> 
> RTworks is available on a variety  of Unix and VMS platforms under a 
> floating license in which you pay for only the number of simultaneous users, 
> and the software is not node-locked to a particular machine. Current RTworks 
> customers include Lockheed, NASA, Dow Chemical, PG&E (Pacific, Gas, and 
> Electric), SWIFT, Mazda, and NTT. 
> 
> Address:
> Talarian Corporation
> 444 Castro Street, Suite 140
> Mtn. View, CA 94041
> USA
> 
> phone: (415)-965-8050
> FAX:   (415)-965-7757


> From: ljs@zycor.lgc.com

> Several years ago my company was shopping for a knowledge-based systems
> development tool -- here are some addresses I gathered then of the major
> players in the field.  I don't know if all of the addresses are current,
> or even if all of the companies are still in business, but I hope this is
> of some help to your friend.
> 
> ========================================================================
> 
> ART-IM                Inference Corporation
>                       550 North Continental Blvd.
>                       El Segundo, CA 90245
>                       (213) 322-0200
>                       (213) 322-3242 FAX
> 
> 
> GEST  (Generic         Georgia Tech Research Institute
> Expert System Tool)    Computer Science Lab
>                        Atlanta, GA 30332
>                        (404) 894-3559
>                        (404) 894-3906 FAX
>                        (404) 894-3120 FAX
> 
> 
> GOLDWORKS II           Gold Hill Computers, Inc.
>                        26 Landsdowne Street
>                        Cambridge, MA 02139
>                        1 (800) 242-5477
>                        (617) 621-3300
>                        (617) 621-0656 FAX
> 
> 
> GURU                   mdbs, Inc.
>                        Two Executive Drive
>                        P.O. Box 248
>                        Lafayette, IN 47902-0248
>                        1 (800) 344-5832
>                        (317) 463-2581
>                        (317) 448-6428 FAX
> 
> 
> Intelligence Compiler  Intelligence Ware
>                        9800 S. Sepulveda Blvd.
>                        Los Angeles, CA 90045-5228
>                        (213) 417-8896
>                        (213) 417-8897 FAX
> 
> 
> KES                    Software Architecture and Engineering, Inc.
>                        1600 Wilson Blvd.
>                        Suite 500
>                        Arlington, VA 22209
>                        (703) 276-7910
>                        (703) 284-3821 FAX
> 
> 
> Knowledge Craft        Carnegie Group, Inc.
>                        5 PPG Place
>                        Pittsburgh, PA  15222
>                        (800) 284-3424
>                        (412) 642-6900
>                        (412) 642-6906 FAX
> 
> 
> Laser                  Bell Atlantic Knowledge Systems, Inc.
>                        P.O. Box 3528
>                        Princeton, NJ 08543-3528
>                        (800) 552-2257
>                        (609) 275-8393
> 
> 
> Mercury KBE            Artificial Intelligence Technologies, Inc.
>                        40 Saw Mill River Road
>                        Hawthorne, NY 10532
>                        (800) 333-1406
>                        (914) 347-6860
>                        (914) 347-3182 FAX
> 
> 
> Nexpert Object         Neuron Data
>                        156 University Ave.
>                        Palo Alto, CA 94301
>                        (415) 321-4488
>                        (415) 321-3728 FAX
> 
> 
> Personal Consultant    Texas Instruments
> Plus                   P.O. Box 2909, MS/2240
>                        Austin, TX 78769
>                        (800) 527-3500
> 
> 
> ProKappa               Intellicorp
>                        1975 El Camino Real West
>                        Mountain View, CA 94040-2216
>                        (415) 965-5500
>                        (415) 965-5647 FAX


> From: Hal Waters <hlw%babar@rti.rti.org>

> I suggest that you get him a copy of AI Expert Magazine, December 1992
> pages 42-49.  It is called the "Expert System Resource Guide".  It may
> not be exhaustive, but considering how the market has somewhat shrunk,
> it may be close enough.


> From: Philip Vanneste <FZAAE02@BLEKUL11.BITNET>

> Aion Development System (AionDS)
> is distributed by Aion Corporation
>                   101 University Avenue
>                   Palo Alto, CA 94301
>                   tel. (415)328-9595
> 
>    For Europe, contact Software Generation
>                        Kontichsesteenweg 40,
>                        B 2630 Aartselaar
>                        Belgium
>                        tel. 32-(0)3-877.12.93
>                        fax. 32-(0)3-877.13.55
> 
> AionDS runs on different platforms including
>  - DOS
>  - OS/2
>  - SUN/OS (Xwindows, OpenWindows, Motif)
>  - Microsoft Windows
>  - VMS
>  - ...
> 
> It is suited for developping big applications, and has a very
> developper-friendly interface.
> Some of the features:
> - Object Oriented Knowledge Representation
> - Rules (forward, backward, bidirectional, pattern matching)
> - graphics
> - calls to other languages (C, Pascal, ...)
> - calls from other languages possible
> - GUI also available (Choreographer)
> 
> I work with it, and I prefer it above other environments I have used
> such as - Leonardo
>         - K.B.M.S.


> From: cork%bn@cs.umass.edu (DANIEL CORKILL)

> Blackboard Technology Group, Inc.
> 401 Main Street
> Amherst, MA  01002
> 413/256-8990
> 413/256-3179 (fax)
> 
> BBTech markets the GBB generic blackboard framework (runs on
> most everything from PCs and Macs, Unix workstations, and 
> Symbolics and TI Explorer Lisp machines.  They also market
> NetGBB for building distributed AI applications using
> blackboard technology.


> From: cllin@cs.umd.edu (Bruce Chih-Lung Lin)
     
>     addr of Inference Copr. : 
>        Inference Corporation ,
>        5300 W. Century Blvd. ,
>        Los Angeles, CA 90045
>     
>     In IEEE Computer Feb. 1991, there is a article about Expert system tools. 


And a message I received just today :

> From: Willem Van Dyk <willem@harlequin.co.uk>

> Dear Mr.Betzos,
> 
> Further to your plea of 25 November 1992 concerning expert systems
> shells, I would like to point out Harlequin's product range. I think
> your friend will be particularly interested in our LispWorks and
> KnowledgeWorks products.
> 
> LISPWORKS.
> 
> An advanced Common Lisp programming environment for developing
> intelligent information systems on standard UNIX platforms
> 
> 	Full CLtL2 Common Lisp implementation
> 	Comprehensive set of  programming and GUI tools
> 	Support for Motif,  OpenLook and CLIM user interface standards
> 	Interfaces to C, C++, Fortran and SQL
> 	On-line documentation and hypermedia authoring facility	
> 	High-performance Lisp-based Prolog
> 	Compacting delivery system 
> 
>       
> LispWorks includes Harlequin's own implementation of the proposed ANSI
> Common Lisp (CL) standard, including the Common Lisp Object System
> (CLOS), the condition system and the loop facility.
> 
> LispWorks contains an optimised version of CLX, the CL interface to
> the X Window system, and a version of CLUE (the standard CL User
> Interface Environment) that is fully integrated with the LispWorks
> multi-tasking system. LispWorks features a generation-based garbage
> collector to provide unobtrusive memory management.
> 
> 
> USER INTERFACE
> 
> The LispWorks interface toolkit extends CLUE to provide a wide range
> of generic interface components. Both Motif and OpenLook "look and
> feel" are supported. Developers can build customised interfaces with
> source code or with the LispWorks Interface Builder. For users wishing
> to develop using CLIM, version 1.0 is available for LispWorks 3.0.
> 
> Programming tools include an Emacs-style Lisp editor, a Lisp listener
> and a variety of inspectors, graphers and browsers that offer
> context-sensitive operations.  The debugger supports full source-level
> debugging and can move from an error directly to the offending source
> code.  The source code manager provides support to developers of large
> applications, allowing them to describe the dependencies between files
> explicitly, ensuring correct compilation and loading of multi- file
> systems.
> 
> New tools for LispWorks 3.0 include: resource and option browsers, a
> UNIX shell tool, a mail reader and a parser generator.
> 
> EXTERNAL INTERFACES
> 
> LispWorks supports transparent access to external code and data.  It
> includes functional and CLOS SQL interfaces to access standard
> relational databases.  In addition to supporting C and Fortran,
> LispWorks 3.0 has a CLOS interface to C++. LispWorks also provides an
> interface to GNU Emacs.
> 
> 
> ON-LINE DOCUMENTATION
>       
> LispWorks provides complete on-line documentation using Harlequin's
> Authoring Book, a hypermedia system based on a book metaphor.
> 
> The Authoring Book  editing facility allows users to produce their 
> own hypermedia on-line documentation. The system can also 
> import files from FrameMaker.
> 
> 
> COMMON PROLOG
> 
> LispWorks 3.0 includes a high-performance Prolog engine, tightly
> integrated with Lisp.  Common Prolog includes graphical debugging,
> support for Edinburgh syntax, a 4-port debugger and a Prolog compiler.
> 
> 
> DELIVERY
> 
> The delivery system, with graphical interface, allows programmers to
> develop using the full functionality of LispWorks and deliver compact
> run-time products.  The profiler provides full statistics on program
> activity, allowing time-critical areas to be determined.
> 
> 
> INTELLIGENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS
> 
> LispWorks may be supplemented with DataWorks and KnowledgeWorks to
> build intelligent information systems.  DataWorks provides a graphical
> toolkit for constructing relational database interfaces.
> KnowledgeWorks furnishes a graphical toolkit for developing
> knowledge-based systems.
> 
> 
> REQUIREMENTS
> 
> LispWorks is available on a wide range of UNIX platforms including
> Sun, DEC, Intergraph, HP, IBM AND MIPS workstations.  It uses the X
> Window System.
> 
> 
> KnowledgeWorks 2.0 - a graphical toolkit for developing knowledge-based systems
> 
> 	Reasoning via forward and backward chaining rules
> 	CLOS knowledge representation
> 	SQL interface for relational databases 
> 	DataWorks and HyperWorks integration
> 	Portable and easily embedded
> 
> KnowledgeWorks KnowledgeWorks is a graphical toolkit for developing
> complex knowledge-based systems.  It provides a multi-paradigm
> programming environment, where developers may mix rule- based,
> object-oriented and procedural programming.
> 
> KnowledgeWorks uses the  highly efficient CLOS implementation 
> provided by LispWorks Harlequin's object-oriented Common 
> Lisp programming environment.  All of the  LispWorks tools are 
> also available within the KnowledgeWorks environment. 
> 
> RULES
> Rules in KnowledgeWorks can be either forward or backward 
> chaining.  They perform complete pattern matching and may 
> contain arbitrary Common Lisp expressions.  
> 
> FORWARD CHAINING RULES
> KnowledgeWorks forward chaining rules use an enhanced OPS5-
> like syntax.  They can access and modify CLOS objects, working 
> memory elements,  database references, and can call Lisp 
> functions and backward chaining rules.  A Rete network compiles 
> forward chaining rules into machine executable code for speed 
> and efficiency.  Rules can execute at over 2500 firings/sec on a 
> Sun SPARCstation 2, depending on rule complexity.
> 
> BACKWARD CHAINING RULES
> The KnowledgeWorks backward chaining system consists of an 
> extended implementation of Prolog.  Goal patterns may  represent 
> CLOS objects, working memory elements, database references, and 
> calls to Lisp and the forward chainer.  Source-level Prolog 
> debugging is provided to augment the traditional 4-port 
> debugging model, and Edinburgh syntax is supported.   The 
> backward chainer supports both mode declarations and user 
> selectable clause indexing.  It runs at an average of 35 klips on a 
> Sun SPARCstation 2. 
> 
> CLOS KNOWLEDGE REPRESENTATION
> CLOS provides  exceptionally powerful and efficient facilities for 
> object-oriented programming.   These facilities can be used to 
> implement knowledge representations with dynamic slots and 
> multiple inheritance.  CLOS objects are transparently available for 
> rule access or modification without  degrading the object system 
> performance.
> 
> PROCEDURAL CONTROL MECHANISMS
> KnowledgeWorks provides  simple but effective mechanisms for 
> procedural control of forward chaining rule bases.  Rules are 
> grouped into contexts with individual conflict resolution 
> strategies. 
> 
> GRAPHICAL TOOLS
> KnowledgeWorks has a full set of graphical tools for quickly 
> constructing knowledge bases. Facilities include a source control 
> manager, Emacs-style editor with automatic macro completion, 
> and browsers for rules, classes and facts. Rule behaviour can be 
> closely monitored using a comprehensive set of graphical tracing 
> facilities.    
> 
> SQL INTERFACE FOR RELATIONAL DATABASES
> Transparent access to relational databases from rules is provided 
> through  functional and CLOS SQL interfaces.  KnowledgeWorks' 
> inferencing mechanisms may be used to construct intelligent 
> databases.
> 
> DATAWORKS AND HYPERWORKS INTEGRATION
> KnowledgeWorks is designed to be integrated with Harlequin's 
> DataWorks and HyperWorks toolkits to build intelligent 
> information systems.  DataWorks provides a graphical toolkit for 
> constructing relational databases.  HyperWorks furnishes a 
> dynamic hypermedia system for online documentation.
> 
> DELIVERY
> An Application Programmer Interface (API) and a compacting 
> delivery system make it practical to deliver KnowledgeWorks 
> applications standalone or embedded within other applications.
> 
> REQUIREMENTS
> KnowledgeWorks and LispWorks are available on a wide
> range of UNIX platforms including Sun, DEC, Intergraph, HP, MIPS and
> IBM workstations.  They use the X Window System.
> 
> ===============================================================================
> 
> Should your friend want a company pack sent via regular mail, then
> please tell him to supply us with his postal address and we will 
> be happy to oblige.
>  
> Yours sincerely,
> W.F.van Dijk
> 
>                             
>                          Sales and  Marketing
>                               
>                               HARLEQUIN
> 
> Barrington Hall     Barrington     Cambridge      CB2 5RG      England
> 
>                                   *
>       Tel: +44-223-872 522       ***       Fax: +44-223-872 519
>                                 *****
>                                  ***
>                                   *            
>                     internet: willem@harlqn.co.uk 
>                        uucp: willem@harlqn.uucp
Newsgroups: comp.compression