Britton Lee, Inc.
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Software, Computer hardware |
| Founded | 1979 |
| Founder | David L. Britton, Geoffrey M. Lee |
| Defunct | June 1990 |
| Fate | Acquired by Teradata |
| Headquarters | United States |
| Products | Database machines, ShareBase relational database management system suite |
Britton Lee Inc. was an early innovator in the relational database sector, later renamed ShareBase prior to its acquisition by Teradata in June 1990.
History
The company was established in 1979 by David L. Britton and Geoffrey M. Lee, alongside a group that included Robert Epstein, Michael Ubell, and Paula Hawthorn, all formerly part of the Ingres research team. Its primary focus was on developing database machines—specialized hardware tailored for database software performance. By 1985, approximately 300 systems had been installed, predominantly supporting midrange systems such as the DEC VAX.
Robert Epstein subsequently left to co-found Sybase, while Britton and Lee exited the company in 1987. On May 15, 1989, the firm adopted the name ShareBase Corporation. After experiencing layoffs and financial setbacks that year, ShareBase was acquired by Teradata in June 1990, another early player in the database machine market.
Products
As of late 1989, ShareBase offered the following product suite:
- ShareBase II (tm): A relational database management system (RDBMS) engineered for client/server architectures.
- ShareBase I (tm): The earlier version preceding ShareBase II.
- ShareBase SQL Database Server, which included:
- Server/8000 (tm): A high-end midrange database server designed to support ShareBase II. It incorporated a RISC/ECL processor optimized for database tasks with a distributed multiprocessor design and up to 256 MB of shared high-speed memory. It accommodated a broad range of client platforms such as IBM PC DOS, Apple Macintosh, Sun workstations, AT&T 3B series, Pyramid systems, DEC VAX, HP 3000/9000, and IBM VM/CMS and MVS environments.
- Server/700 (tm): Enhanced performance server supporting ShareBase I with 6 MB of memory for more demanding applications.
- Server/300 (tm): Compatible with ShareBase I and various client systems including PC/DOS and UNIX workstations (AT&T System V, Sun), as well as DEC VAX running BSD/UNIX, VAX/VMS, or ULTRIX. This model supported up to 50 databases, each capable of containing 32,000 tables and up to 2 billion rows per table. It featured 4 MB of memory and could handle up to 200 simultaneous users.
The Server/300 was available in three configurations:
- Model 25: Equipped with 600 MB disk capacity and one tape drive
- Model 35: Featuring 1200 MB disk space and two tape drives
- Model 60: Offering 3320 MB disk storage along with two tape drives
- ShareCom: Software facilitating communication between database clients and servers.
Partnership with Omnibase/SmartStar
In 1984, Britton-Lee’s Intelligent Database Machine (IDM) was offered in conjunction with Signal Technology Inc.’s Omnibase and SmartStar relational database software packages. This integrated hardware/software solution—Omnibase/SmartStar combined with Britton-Lee’s IDM—was utilized by entities such as NASA, the United States Marine Corps, and financial institutions for complex data analysis.
SmartStar is Signal Technology Inc.’s (STI) application development platform designed for the VAX environment. It provides native connectivity to multiple databases including RMS, Rdb/VMS, Oracle, Sybase, Ingres, and Teradata/ShareBase. Originally centered on IQL (Interactive Query Language), SmartStar has since incorporated SQL support as its primary query language.
Prominent components within SmartStar include:
- SmartBuilder
- SmartDesign
- SmartStation
- SmartGL
- SmartCall and RSQL (enabling integration with third-generation programming languages)
- SmartQuery
- SmartMove (for bulk data loading and unloading)
- SmartReport
- SmartPainter
- ISQL (Interactive SQL interface)
Signal Technology Inc
During this timeframe, STI and Britton-Lee were acknowledged in a review which stated: "no database management system rivals the IDM paired with OMNIBASE in performance." This recognition emphasized the advanced capabilities of Britton-Lee's Intelligent Database Machine, strengthening its standing within the database management system market.
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