LINC course attracts overseas visitors

Press, 12 June 1984, Page 33

LINC course attracts overseas visitors

Burroughs personnel from five countries are attending an advanced systems course in Christchurch organised by Burroughs LINC Development Centre. It is the first course in a series that is expected to bring many overseas visitors to Christchurch. During the remainder of this year a further four courses are planned, bringing upwards of 60 people to Christchurch. Last week the Mayor of Christchurch, Sir Hamish Hay, welcomed the attendees to the city and took the opportunity to congratulate Burroughs LINC Development Centre on organising the course. The course is organised for Burroughs support staff who want to come and learn

about the LINC software product in detail. A feature of the current series is a description of the next version of LINC, which is due for release at the end of the year. Burroughs LINC Develoment Centre research staff are presenting the course lectures. The 17-day course is held at the Commodore Motor Inn. In order to provide a break from the intense schedule, the attendees are taken on a four-day tour of the South Island at the end of the second week of the course. This tour, on the Newmans conference coach, also provides an opportunity for the attendees to continue their discussions on LINC.

The home office of each attendee pays the full costs of attendance on the course. Burroughs LINC Development Centre has organised a package price for the course, including international travel on Air New Zealand flights. One visitor on the first course is Mr Daniel Lecuyer, from Montreal, Canada, who will go back to Montreal and train Burroughs staff on LINC in Frenchlanguage courses. There are now about 20 LINC sites in Canada. Another attendee is Mr Cees Weterings, from Burroughs head office, who is responsible for planning the support for selling LINC outside of the United States.

He described the features in the new version of LINC as another step forward for LINC which will maintain its position as a leadingedge product. Ms Carolyn Eckhardt, from Pennsylvania, is attending the course to investigate the opportunities for using the new version of LINC in large transactionprocessing environments, such as banking systems. "It is not often you get the opportunity to speak to the people who are creating a software product,” she said, commenting on the value of the course. The courses will continue next year as well, with five or six courses likely during the year.