Convergent Technologies Operating System


Convergent Technologies Operating System

(operating system)(CTOS, BTOS, STARSYS) /see-toss/ A modular,message-passing, multi-process based operating system.

Convergent Technologies' first product was the IWS(Integrated Workstation) based on the Intel 8086, which hadCTOS as its operating system. It is a modular operatingsystem with built in local area networking. CTOS supportsmultiple processes or threads, and message-basedinter-process communication.

Companies which have licensed CTOS include Burroughs (BTOS)and Bull (STARSYS). The largest customer was Unisys, withwhom Convergent Technologies merged to become one company in1988. CTOS now has over 800,000 users worldwide.

CTOS runs on Intel Pentium computers, and can runconcurrently with Microsoft Windows NT.

For some reason, CTOS is no longer marketted to new customers,although there is a support comittment for existing customersuntil 2001. Major customers include Police Forces, Banks, andAirlines.

Latest version: CTOS III 1.3.2.

["Exploring CTOS", Miller E., Crook J., Loy J. - PrenticeHall, ISBN 0-13-297342-1, 1991].