diff --git a/common/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/common/utilities/OSUtilities.java b/common/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/common/utilities/OSUtilities.java
index 131e0e5e31a36fe14db5716f7e755f3da8846bed..ac6223d51bc7178e55b06f20bef252e0b498b819 100644
--- a/common/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/common/utilities/OSUtilities.java
+++ b/common/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/common/utilities/OSUtilities.java
@@ -77,6 +77,22 @@ public class OSUtilities
         return System.getProperty("os.arch") + "-" + osName;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * @return The name of the CPU architecture.
+     */
+    public static String getCPUArchitecture()
+    {
+        return System.getProperty("os.arch");
+    }
+    
+    /**
+     * @return The name of the operating system.
+     */
+    public static String getOSName()
+    {
+        return System.getProperty("os.name");
+    }
+    
     /**
      * @return The name of the computer platform (CPU architecture and OS name).
      */