MAJOR UPGRADE TO EXPANDED MEMORY SPECIFICATION ANNOUNCED 

August 19, 1987 -- Lotus Development Corporation, Intel Corporation's
Personal Computer Enhancement Operation (PCEO) and Microsoft Corporation
today announced a major revision of the Lotus/Intel/Microsoft Expanded Memory
Specification (L/I/M EMS). 

     Introduced in 1985, the L/I/M EMS Version 3.2 allowed users of IBM and 
compatible personal computers to access memory beyond the 640K limit. 

     Officials from Lotus, Intel and Microsoft said L/I/M EMS Version 4.0
offers software developers a broader range of uses for expanded memory than
has been available in any of the existing approaches to expanded memory.  As
a result, applications and systems software that support L/I/M EMS 4.0 will
provide users with new and better uses of expanded memory such as: 
     * Spreadsheets using expanded memory more effectively. 
     * Memory resident ("pop-up") programs executing in expanded 
        memory. 
     * Families of applications ("add-ins") using shared data in 
        expanded memory. 
     * Larger RAM disks, print buffers, and disk caches running faster 
        with expanded memory. 
     * A memory limit of 32 Mb compared with the previous limit of 8 
        Mb. 
     * Multiple programs using expanded memory simultaneously, and with 
        better performance. 

     Some of the capabilities of L/I/M EMS 4.0, such as multitasking and
program code execution in expanded memory, are equivalent to capabilities
originally developed by AST for its Enhanced Expanded Memory Specification
(EEMS).  In a separate statement, AST has indicated that it intends to fully
support L/I/M EMS 4.0 as the industry-wide expanded memory standard and will
make an upgrade available to all its customers. 

     Applications written to the L/I/M EMS 4.0 can run on existing EMS 3.2,
EEMS or XMA hardware, although these boards will require new device drivers. 
Existing emulation programs based on the 80386 microprocessor's page mapping 
facilities will be upgradeable to L/I/M EMS 4.0.  Applications written to EMS
3.2 are upwards compatible with L/I/M EMS 4.0. 

     Software developers can access the features of the new EMS specification
through 15 new functions and 39 new subfunctions.  These new functions
include: 
     * Multiple page mapping -- for better performance and data 
        protection. 
     * Dynamic growing or shrinking of the amount of expanded memory 
        allocated -- for more efficient use by multiple programs. 
     * The naming of data "handles" -- for data sharing by families of 
        applications. 
     * Far jump and far call simulation -- for code execution in 
        expanded memory. 
     * The ability to copy or exchange a region of memory from 
        conventional to expanded, expanded to conventional, or expanded 
        to expanded -- for device driver performance. 
     * The ability to map more than 64K at a time, or map into 
        conventional memory -- for operating environment performance. 
     * The ability to disable conventional memory mapping -- for 
        operating environment reliability. 

     Officials from Intel, Lotus and Microsoft said that the new features in 
L/I/M EMS 4.0 were the result of input from a number of other leading
software and hardware developers, including AST, Ashton-Tate, Borland, and
Living Videotext.  These and other industry leaders will continue to be
included by Lotus, Intel, and Microsoft in any future discussions on the
direction of the L/I/M EMS.  Officials noted that the contribution to and
support of L/I/M EMS 4.0 by AST is particularly significant, allowing
developers and users alike to gain the advantages of a single industry-wide
standard. 

     Lotus said L/I/M EMS 4.0 will complement several new features in release
3 of 1-2-3.  The new expanded memory specification practically eliminates 
limitations on the size of 1-2-3 spreadsheets, and it will play an important 
role in supporting the new multi-dimensional capabilities of release 3 of
1-2-3, which were first announced during Lotus Week in April.  Although
expanded memory will not be required by 1-2-3 release 3, EMS 4.0 will offer
1-2-3 release 3 users under DOS the same improvements in memory management
that they will enjoy when running 1-2-3 release 3 under OS/2.  When used
together, EMS 4.0 and 1-2-3 release 3 will provide a significant improvement
in the ability to manipulate complex spreadsheet models. 

     Microsoft said L/I/M EMS 4.0 made full Windows support of expanded
memory possible.  "When used in conjunction with Microsoft Windows 2.0, L/I/M
EMS 4.0 provides significantly enhanced capabilities to PC users," said Steve
Ballmer, Microsoft vice president of systems software. 

     Memory resident utility programs, popular among users but which consume 
precious conventional memory and often create system conflicts, can gain 
significant benefits from L/I/M EMS 4.0.  Software developers will find it
much easier to write memory resident programs that execute out of expanded
memory. This not only frees conventional memory for applications, but also
provides a safer environment when running several memory resident programs
simultaneously. 

     With access to 32 Mb of memory, users can configure much larger RAM
disks, making manipulation of large files, such as those created by data base
management applications, possible. 

     Intel's L/I/M EMS 4.0 Developers Kit, which includes a copy of the 
specification and programming tips, is available immediately by contacting
Intel PCEO at Mail Stop C03-07, 5200 N.E.  Elam Young Parkway, Hillsboro,
Ore., 97124-6497, or call 800-538-3373. 
s to expanded memory.  As
a result, applications and systems software that support L