By Mark Hammond, PC Week Online
December 28, 1999 5:44 PM ET


Inprise Corp. soon plans to outline the future of its InterBase database
division, and the possibility of opening the database's source code is
squarely on the table.

The Scotts Valley, Calif., company is expected to make an announcement about
InterBase next week after the resignations of three top InterBase managers
earlier this month triggered a flood of speculation about the future of the
15-year-old database.

In postings to the mers.interbase.list newsgroup, developers have speculated
that the management exodus foretells a sale of the InterBase division or a
halt in development of the next version, InterBase 6.

Opening the code?

A source close to the company said Tuesday that opening the InterBase source
code is being considered by Inprise executives. Such a move would encourage
application development for the database and drive deployments in corporate
IT.

Without elaborating, Inprise officials confirmed Tuesday that Bill Karwin,
InterBase product manager, Paul Beach, director of business development, and
Wayne Ostiguy, manager of technical support, have left the company.

"It is true that a few members of InterBase's management team have left the
company," Inprise said in a statement. "The Inprise executive staff is
evaluating the issues that these vacancies have created, and how to best
deal with these departures moving forward.

"We will continue to support our current InterBase customers," the statement
continued. "We do not anticipate any changes in the level of maintenance and
support our current customers receive."