Sequent extends high-end data warehouse offering; Demonstrates enterprise warehouse solution with new Scalable Data Interconnect (SDI).

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 12, 1996--Sequent Computer Systems Inc. today announced a collaborative effort with Oracle Corp. designed to bring scalability to the very high end of the decision support and data warehouse markets.

This effort, based on a strong, 10-year working relationship between the two companies, has resulted in a new scalable data interconnect (SDI) for enterprise-class, terabyte-size systems.

Referred to as the Sequent Enterprise Warehouse initiative, this effort builds on the "best practices" from successful DSS projects implemented at over 100 demanding customer environments worldwide. The long list of companies turning to Sequent for high-end DSS solutions includes widely recognized names such as Edgars Stores Limited, Preferred Direct Insurance (PDI), Reuters, Trustee Savings Bank (TSB) and Unocal.

Sequent's SDI is a low-latency, high-throughput interconnect for clustered Symmetry Systems. With SDI, Oracle has implemented the Internode Parallel Query Option (IPQ) previously only available with massively parallel computer architectures. Sequent's SDI is the first implementation to provide these requirements within a clustered SMP environment.

Sequent's new SDI high-speed data pump enables customers to create and analyze extremely large data warehouses that are accessed by hundreds to thousands of users running intensive applications, such as data mining programs. SDI, optimized for the Oracle7 Parallel Everything database, provides out-of-box scalability on up 120 Intel Pentium(R) processors.

"Oracle and Sequent have been working together for more than a decade to provide the most powerful and flexible open systems solutions for business critical environments," said Richard French, vice president of Oracle's Intel UNIX Products Division.

"The next generation of data warehouse user requirements will need multi-terabyte databases supporting hundreds to thousands of users. Oracle's database and application products running on Sequent's Symmetry systems have already set the standard in reliability, availability and sheer performance at the high end. Sequent will continue to set the standard for these high-end users with innovations, such as SDI, and through its expertise in the next generation of NUMA-Q technologies. With the ability to provide Oracle's Internode Parallel Query Option on these technologies and proven customer success with large Data Warehouses, Sequent is poised to be an impressive force for enterprise-class DSS systems".

Sequent's Enterprise Warehouse initiative focuses on a holistic view of the data warehouse solution/project and brings together solutions from Sequent and its partners. These partners provide all the software components of a successful data warehouse from data extraction through data analysis and leading-edge knowledge discovery tools.

Sequent's comprehensive, business-centric methodology is continually evolving, yet well tested, and has resulted in Sequent's reputation for being able to successfully architect complex DSS solutions. DSS is currently the fastest growing segment of Sequent's business.

Sequent will demonstrate its proven Enterprise Warehouse solutions at the European Oracle User Group conference which begins here April 14. Attendees will see several examples of the Oracle7 Parallel Everything database running on Sequent's powerful, clustered Symmetry(R) systems.

Sequent is one of several companies participating in Oracle's Test-to-Scale Program, a program designed to test and certify data warehouses exceeding a terabyte. Sequent expects to finalize participation and certification in this program later this year.

Sequent's SDI has been designed for the demanding high-end business environment with affordability and manageability features not traditionally found in the standard MPP solutions.

"Sequent's SDI solution will enable sophisticated users to scale enterprise decision support and data warehouse applications into the multi-terabyte realm," said Gary Smaby, president of Smaby Group, a leading IT industry research and advisory firm based in Minneapolis. "While this performance range exceeds the requirements of most mainstream user today, we believe there is a tier of leading edge customers in financial services, manufacturing, and retail that can and will, in this decade, design applications to take advantage of this unprecedented level of performance."

"Turning data into meaningful, applied information has become a strategic business imperative for many organizations," noted Alan Cox, Sequent's DSS business group manager. "The challenge our customers face can be simply stated -- they are looking for the best ways to mine strategic information from the mountains of data they have -- quickly, efficiently and reliably. Sequent offers the capability today with the growth path to satisfy the escalating needs of our customers well into the 21st century."

According to Drew Kennedy, group IS manager for Edgars Stores Limited, a major retailer in South Africa, "We realized that the best way to address our current and future business needs was to form a partnership with a computer vendor who would provide us with an open, best-of-breed business solution supported by sound technology. We found the answer in Sequent."

In addition to SDI, Sequent is introducing an enhanced High Availability package for its customers. This offering features Sequent's new Model 20 processor board that has the industry's first error detecting and correcting (EDC) circuitry guarding the processor's data cache, along with the Intel 166 MHz Pentium(R) processor. Sequent's enhanced High Availability program is designed to provide mission critical environments the highest levels of availability (99.95%) with well coordinated professional service offerings to ensure business success.

Sequent Computer Systems Inc. (NASDAQ:SQNT), is a leading architect and provider of open client/server solutions for enterprise business computing. With an installed base of nearly 8,000 systems, Sequent leads all other vendors of high-end UNIX systems supporting very large-scale on-line transaction processing (OLTP), decision support (DSS) and internet-based applications. Sequent's project-oriented offerings include consulting, educational and professional services geared to help organizations re-architect their existing information technology infrastructures.

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