Motorola Computer Group Re-designs Manufacturing Facility, Supports Windows NT 3.51 For Major Ramp of PowerPC Systems; PowerStack Servers and RISC PCs Rolling off Line with New Windows NT 3.51 Operating System.TEMPE, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 12, 1995--In support of its high-volume PowerPC systems push, the Motorola Computer Group (MCG) today announced completion of phase one of a multi-million dollar re-design at MCG's Tempe manufacturing facility and commercial availability of Windows NT (Windows New Technology) A 32-bit operating system from Microsoft for Intel x86 CPUs. NT is the core technology in Windows 2000 and Windows XP (see Windows). Available in separate client and server versions, it includes built-in networking and preemptive multitasking. 3.51 on its PowerPC products. The Tempe facility produces Motorola's PowerStack family of boards, RISC PCs and servers, based on the PowerPC 603 and PowerPC 604 microprocessors. The factory re-design is a key element in MCG's PowerPC strategy to establish a world-class facility capable of producing the high-volume, high-quality and competitively priced PowerStack products currently in demand by the industry. MCG also announced the factory's ability to support production shipments of its PowerStack family of desktop and server systems pre-installed with Microsoft Corporation's new Windows NT 3.51 operating system operating system (OS) Software that controls the operation of a computer, directs the input and output of data, keeps track of files, and controls the processing of computer programs. . PowerStack systems now incorporate leading edge PowerPC technology with popular industry software applications. Native versions of Microsoft Word A full-featured word processing program for Windows and the Macintosh from Microsoft. Included in the Microsoft application suite, it is a sophisticated program with rudimentary desktop publishing capabilities that has become the most widely used word processing application on the market. , Microsoft Excel (tool) Microsoft Excel - A spreadsheet program from Microsoft, part of their Microsoft Office suite of productivity tools for Microsoft Windows and Macintosh. Excel is probably the most widely used spreadsheet in the world. Latest version: Excel 97, as of 1997-01-14. , WordPerfect from Novell, Microsoft BackOffice See BackOffice. and the entire installed base of other software applications developed for the widely accepted Windows NT operating environment In computing, an operating environment is the environment in which users run programs, whether in a command line interface, such as in MS-DOS or the Unix shell, or in a graphical user interface, such as in the Macintosh operating system. will be available on the PowerStack systems. As a mainstream operating system aimed directly at the desktop and server markets, the addition of Windows NT 3.51 propels PowerStack to the forefront of next generation desktop and enterprise computing Refers to information technology in the larger company. See enterprise data and enterprise networking. . "The availability of Windows NT Workstation and Windows NT Server on our PowerStack desktop and server systems has created tremendous new market opportunities. The software community is very excited about the performance levels and market potential of our PowerStack systems," said Karl Stoltze, vice president of marketing for the Motorola Computer Group. "Not only are we about to see a whole new generation of native high-performance applications, but users' existing desktop productivity tools are still available to them on Windows NT for the PowerPC." Building upon Motorola's world-class manufacturing expertise, phase one of the re-design includes the first of seven state-of-the-art motherboard assembly lines that include robotics, surface mount assembly equipment and in-line test equipment. "Handling both single- and double-sided boards, the line is designed to provide a fully assembled and tested board in less than a minute," noted Arnold Klugman, vice president and director of manufacturing operations Manufacturing operations concern the operation of a facility, as opposed to maintenance, supply and distribution, health, and safety, emergency response, human resources, security, information technology and other infrastructural support organizations. at the Motorola Computer Group. "The motherboards, based on PowerPC microprocessors, can then be transferred to the system assembly line that produces PowerStack RISC PCs or servers. This automated line is designed to eliminate human error and maintain the highest product quality through the use of operator-assisted video assembly programs that allow systems to be configured to meet specific customer requirements." Once the hardware systems are fully configured and tested, one of the new PowerPC microprocessor-based operating systems Operating systems can be categorized by technology, ownership, licensing, working state, usage, and by many other characteristics. In practice, many of these groupings may overlap. , including Windows NT 3.51 or IBM's AIX (Advanced Interactive eXecutive) IBM's Unix-based operating system which runs on its Intellistation workstations and pSeries, p5, iSeries and i5 server families. 4.1, is pre-loaded prior to delivery to the customer. MCG has invested heavily in new training and assembly methodologies for volume production of its PowerStack RISC PCs and servers. Order-entry systems and related automated production control systems have been put in place to consistently monitor customer orders and the materials used to ensure quality that exceeds customer requirements. Future improvements to the Tempe facility will add more assembly lines that build upon these established manufacturing elements. The PowerStack family includes the Series E Model E603-66P, a 66-MHz, PowerPC entry-level workgroup server based Refers to hardware or software that runs in the server. Contrast with client based. on the 603 microprocessor, and the E604-100P, a configuration based on a 100-MHz, PowerPC 604 microprocessor. PowerStack RISC PCs consist of the DT603-66 and MT603-66; and the DT604-100 and MT604-100, running at 66 and 100 MHz (MegaHertZ) One million cycles per second. It is used to measure the transmission speed of electronic devices, including channels, buses and the computer's internal clock. A one-megahertz clock (1 MHz) means some number of bits (16, 32, 64, etc. , respectively. The systems have been in commercial distribution with IBM's AIX 4.1 operating system since early 1995. The PowerStack models are based on the PCI (1) (Payment Card Industry) See PCI DSS. (2) (Peripheral Component Interconnect) The most widely used I/O bus (peripheral bus). (Peripheral Component Interconnect See PCI. (hardware) Peripheral Component Interconnect - (PCI) A standard for connecting peripherals to a personal computer, designed by Intel and released around Autumn 1993. PCI is supported by most major manufacturers including Apple Computer. bus and offer a variety of memory, SCSI SCSI in full Small Computer System Interface Once common standard for connecting peripheral devices (disks, modems, printers, etc.) to small and medium-sized computers. SCSI has given way to faster standards, such as Firewire and USB. device and PCI-based expansion options. The modular and expandable design of the PowerStack family enables distributors, value-added resellers (VARs) and systems integrators to quickly reconfigure the systems to accommodate a range of current and future performance levels, data storage and interface options. As with all product offerings, the PowerStack products are backed by a limited five-year warranty on parts and labor for product shipped back to the MCG factory for repair. PowerStack RISC PCs configured with 16 MB of memory, 1/2 GB of disk memory, floppy disk, quad speed CD ROM CD ROM Compact Disk Read Only Memory , Ethernet and NT 3.51 workstation software are competitively list priced at $2647 for the DT603-66 and $3448 for the DT604-100. The Series E server with 256K L2 cache (Level 2 cache) A memory bank built into the CPU chip, packaged within the same module or built on the motherboard. The L2 cache feeds the L1 cache, and its memory is slower than L1 memory. The L2 cache feeds the L1 cache, which feeds the processor. , 32MB of parity memory, 1GB hard drive, floppy drive, Business Audio, PCI graphics, Ethernet, dual speed CD ROM and Windows NT 3.51 Server is list priced at $6,555 for the E603-66P and $8,395 for the E604-100P. For additional reader information, contact the Motorola Computer Group at 1-800-624-6449. The Motorola Computer Group (MCG) is a multinational hardware and software platform supplier to companies that provide computer solutions to Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), distributors, value added resellers (VARs), systems integrators and select end users. MCG products include a full range of industry-leading VMEbus boards; PowerPC-and UNIX-based multi-user systems and client/server platforms; and real-time system platforms. Hardware is supported by standards-based operating system software and systems enablers - all tools necessary to develop end-user solutions. MCG products are characterized by world-class Six Sigma quality goals; superior hardware and price performance ratios; and faithfulness to the tenets of open computing - modularity, scalability, portability and interoperability. MCG corporate headquarters, along with regional headquarters for Latin America and Australia, are located in Tempe, Arizona. MCG's European headquarters are located in Brussels, Belgium. Headquarters for MCG's Asia Pacific region are located in Hong Kong. Motorola Inc. (NYSE NYSE See: New York Stock Exchange :MOT) is one of the world's leading providers of wireless communications, semiconductors, and advanced electronic systems and services. Major equipment businesses include cellular telephone, two-way radio, paging and data communications, personal communications, automotive, defense and space electronics and computers. Communication devices, computers and millions of consumer products are powered by Motorola semiconductors. Motorola's 1994 sales were $22.2 billion. -0- Note to Editors: Motorola, the Motorola logo and PowerStack are trademarks of Motorola, Inc. PowerPC, PowerPC 603 and PowerPC 604 are trademarks of International Business Machines Corp. and are used by Motorola, Inc. under license from International Business Machines Corp. AIX is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corp. Microsoft is a registered trademark and Windows NT is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation. Novell and WordPerfect are trademarks of Novell, Inc. CONTACT: Motorola Computer Group Bill Wittmann, 602/438-3481 or Tsantes & Associates Nancy Sheffield, 408/452-8700 |
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